Questions have been raised about why Breightmet was awarded funding for a new park, while other areas in need lost out.
The decision to award part of £85,000 worth of funding to create a new park off Greenroyd Avenue in Breightmet has prompted questions at the highest level at Bolton Council.
This came after claims from Cllr Debbie Newall, who represents Kearsley, that 14 suitable locations had been identified in the borough by order of deprivation indicators, but that the council’s leadership selected the Breightmet site despite it not being on the list.
Cllr Debbie Newall, of One Kearsley, said: “They seemed very determined to make sure that this funding went to the area around Greenroyd in the new part of Breightmet.
“Now I welcome this new ideology from the Tories of wanting to target areas of deprivation because I remember when the Tories took that targeted funding away from areas of deprivation.”
She added: “I look forward to seeing it rolled out in future funding opportunities.”
Bolton was one of 85 boroughs around the country identified by the government as deserving a slice of £9 M worth of funding for new parks.
According to Cllr Newall, the Department for Levelling Up and Housing also identified 14 areas within Bolton itself that could have been awarded targeted funding for new parks.
These included three areas in the Crompton ward, two in Great Lever, two in the Horwich North area, one each in her own are of Kearsley as well as in Harper Green, Rumworth and Hulton as well as two in other parts of Breightmet.
But the Greenroyd option had not been on this list, though the Department accepted that the final decision was down to Bolton Council.
Cllr Newall has claimed that given the make up of the new Breightmet ward, the seat will likely be a key target for the Conservatives at the next local election in June, which has influenced their decision to award it funding.
Cllr Newall said: “Where is the transparency with informal meetings with officers because that does not protect anybody who is concerned in those meetings with matters like these.”
She added: “When did the Tories have their road to Damascus experience with their transformation regarding targeting deprivation?”
But Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services Cllr Nadim Muslim said that the site was identified by officers in consultation with elected members like himself.
He explained that the land was already part owned by both the council itself with Bolton at Home.
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He said: “So therefore this site offers collaboration opportunities whilst meeting the requirements of the government department.”
Cllr Muslim also cited a report in the Guardian newspaper which identified Breightmet as in need of deprivation.
He said: “We don’t need a report to tell us this, which is why we are delivering this new greenspace for Breightmet.”
He added: “The decision to proceed with the Breightmet scheme was taken with the director of place in line with the scheme of delegation.”
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