Plans for a new park and community gardens have been thrown into doubt.

This comes after a request made by Horwich Town Council to transfer land off Telford Street in Horwich to community ownership for use as a possible new park.

But Cllr David Grant, who led a steering group to look at draft proposals for the land, says he was disappointed to hear from Bolton Council last week that the plan had been refused.

He said: "The council clearly wants to dispose of this land having brought it up for disposal twice and a precedence has been set with other disposal agreed with other town councils in the borough including items not specifically earmarked for disposal.”

Cllr Grant, of the Horwich and Blackrod First Independents, says that he believes this decision goes against Bolton Council’s own policies where the disposal of land is concerned and says he has written to the borough solicitor and chief executive making this very point.

He also says he is concerned about apparent lack of public scrutiny in this case.

Cllr Grant said: “Furthermore when the Conservatives took control of the council they promised the people of Bolton honest, open and transparent decision making yet here we see another decision being made behind closed doors with no scrutiny or oversight!

“This is not over, HBFI and the people of Horwich will fight every way we can against this malicious politically motivated decision.”

But Bolton Council cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Adele Warren has said that normal procedures were followed in the case of the Telford Street land.

Speaking at a meeting of full council, she said that the land simple did not meet the criteria as set out in the council’s policy.

Cllr Warren said: “All potential asset disposals are discussed with the executive member before they are recommended for disposal.

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“The needs of disposal and alternative options are a normal part of such discussion."

She said policies arre followed to ensure fairness, accountability and consisitency in all wards and  in "in this case the asset does not fit the criteria for community asset transfer".