BOLTON has a ‘massive future’, according to businesses angered by a national newspaper story which painted it as a ‘nothing of a town’.

Vertu Motors chief executive Robert Forrester, whose family is from Bolton, has led a £12 million investment in two car dealerships on the edge of the town centre.

Work is almost complete on the Bristol Street Motors Ford showroom in Higher Bridge Street, while a state-of-the-art Jaguar Land Rover business is due to open next door in summer 2018.

Mr Forrester was keen to answer a Guardian article earlier this week which bemoaned the area’s economic decline and left the town’s leaders indignant.

He said: “If you ask our manager in Bolton, he would say that the town has one of the most committed teams of employees that he has ever worked with.

“We have got very good sites next to the town centre and we absolutely see it as an area that is on the up.

“That is why we are investing around £12 million in Bolton over the next couple of years. We would not be investing these monies if we did not see Bolton as a town with a massive future and with a population who will thrive in the years ahead..”

Mr Forrester has been impressed with the ‘proactive development’ he has seen coming to Bolton in recent years, such as the refurbishment of the Market Place Shopping Centre.

He added: “That gateway into Bolton where our dealerships are located looks a lot better now because of the money that has been spent on it.

“When I was trying to find somewhere to built in Bolton it was tough because there was so much development going on.

“I think stories like the one in The Guardian are typical of the London-based media perpetuating a myth about the north of England. It is absolute drivel.

“The greatest advantage Bolton has at the moment is that it is part of one of the most economically thriving areas in Britain — the Manchester conurbation.

“It is good to see proactive development happening in Bolton and I am sure it will be for the better.”

New businesses starting out in Bolton are also optimistic about the future.

Debbie Unsworth is opening a new handmade craft shop in the town centre today.

She said: “I have worked in Bolton town centre for eight and a half years and walked through it every day. It does need support from businesses and people who want to make a difference, but I definitely think it is going in the right direction.

“With things like the new Interchange, I can see it improving a lot in the next few years.”

The Life’s a Beach Handmade store will open in St Andrew's Court today, selling items including soaps, natural cosmetics, cushions, and candles.

Guardian journalist Andy Walton, who grew up in Bolton, cited the closure of shops such as Prestons of Bolton and the conversion of a former library in Victoria Square into a betting shop as examples of the town’s problems.

However, long-serving MP Sir David Crausby said that the town is now moving in the right direction.

He said: “The town centre has become a mess. Being prepared to speak out has provoked the council to do something and, all credit to them, they are doing something.

“As a town, in the past, we have made huge mistakes. Bury, for example, has stolen a march on us. At least, even though it is several years’ late, we’re getting it right.”

Last month, Bolton Council unveiled a £1 billion masterplan to transform the character of the town centre, regenerating areas like Church Wharf and the Trinity Gateway.