Bolton has secured around £600,000 worth of funding to improve lighting around the town centre.

The darkened state around Victoria Square and the town hall has long been causing concerns about crime and people’s safety.

At a meeting this week, cabinet member for planning, housing and highways Cllr Hamid Khurram said that improvements could soon be on the way.

He said: “In this regard I am pleased to confirm that the council has secured funding of around £600,000 to assist with the replacement and installation of new lighting around the town centre.”

Last October questions had been raised about safety around the town hall during the darker autumn and winter months.

The Bolton News: The question was put by Cllr Jack Khan of RumworthThe question was put by Cllr Jack Khan of Rumworth (Image: Bolton Council)

At the time, the then leader of the council, Cllr Martyn Cox, said that the borough had applied to the Shared Prosperity Fund for money to improve area around Victoria Square and Le Mans Crescent.

Now, Cllr Khuram has said that an “action group” made up of Greater Manchester Police, CCTV operators and others.

He said: “This group has commissioned a full town centre survey to assess our street lighting levels and future needs.

“Once the survey has been completed we will be able to move forward with replacement installations of street lighting as per the report findings.”

Cllr Khurram said that officers were also looking at replacing the lighting around the first floor of the town hall, the basement lights on Le Mans Crescent and street lighting on Knowsley Street, Bridge Street and Victoria Square.

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He added that a Policy Development Group would be meeting on October 17 to discuss Bolton’s late night economy more broadly.

Cllr Khurram had been responding to a question put by Cllr Jack Khan, who represents the Rumworth ward.

He argued that improvements to street lighting were essential to making the town centre safer and more welcoming to visitors and to people moving to live in the town centre.

Cllr Khan said: “Bolton town centre is undergoing the start of major regeneration projects that will bring a new population living in the town centre.

“This is welcome, but in the evening, the centre appears too dark, with poor lighting, only adding to the fear of crime.”