Have you say on where to develop in Bolton and which areas should be preserved

The plan will set out how Bolton Council uses land to help accommodate the future needs for housing, employment, infrastructure and greenspaces across the borough.

Landowners, developers and residents have all been invited to ask what sites should or should not be used for purposes like these, which the authority says will influence their long-term planning.

Council deputy leader Cllr Akhtar Zaman said: “Reviewing our local plan makes sure our planning policies more accurately represent the needs of Bolton residents.

“Keeping an up-to-date record of available land for various types of development is crucial for the future of our communities.

The call for sites map (Image: Bolton Council) “It is important we balance the future needs of residents for new housing, employment, health, and leisure with the responsibility of preserving what makes Bolton special.”

A questionnaire has now been launched inviting people to share their views on which sites they believe should be protected.

These includes green spaces, recreational sites and areas of biological importance.

The survey will shape Bolton Council’s local plan (Image: Anthony Moss) But it also invites people to set out which sites they believe should be developed, which could be for housing, employment, commercial, community, retail or leisure purposes. 

The local plan will be used to support the Greater Manchester wide Places for Everyone policy, which aims to be a blueprint for development across the city region for the next 15 years.

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The blueprint was adopted by all but one of the Greater Manchester councils and sets out which spaces will be suitable for development. 

In Bolton these meant removing 205 hectares of land from the green belt across three sites in the Bolton-Wigan Growth Corridor, while adding 8.3 hectares to it in Horwich.

The local plan will work within the Places for Everyone development, with the call for sites allowing the authority to identify a broad range of land options for development and protection.

The call for sites survey can be found on the active consultations section of Bolton Council’s website and will be open until Tuesday April 15 this year. 

Source – INDIA TV