Update on 'stalled' £20M Bolton levelling up fund

The £20M was granted as part of the last Conservative government’s “levelling up” fund to be used for projects like redeveloping Bolton town hall and building a hotel on Le Mans Crescent.

But this had not been signed off before July’s election, while the newly elected Labour government says it hopes to replace the levelling up bidding process entirely.

Bolton Conservative leader Cllr Martyn Cox said: “Bolton has been incredibly successful regarding levelling up funding.

“Levelling up funding of course isn’t just what was labelled as levelling up funding, the town’s fund was also levelling up.”

An artist's impression of some of the proposed projects (Image: Bolton Council)

“A £20 million Levelling up funding bid was successful for the pioneering joint venture Bolton College of Medical Science.

“This was a particularly successful bid because it actually doubled the amount of money that went in straight away in partnership with the university.”

But addressing a full meeting of Bolton Council, Cllr Cox said that there had been a “refusal to date” to rule out the funding being “clawed back” by the new government.

He asked what assurances the council leadership could give that the £20M would still be paid for the town centre.

During the last election campaign Bolton Council leader Cllr Nick Peel had said that he still believed the town centre fund was likely to be made a reality.

But he said that he hoped future payments would be made differently and that councils would be able to move away from a competitive bidding process.

Responding to Cllr Cox’s question, Labour’s Cllr Peel said that during the election council officers had tried to contact the government for clarification.

He said: “I’m sorry to say that that clarification never came throughout that entire election period, that is shocking behaviour from the department.”

Cllr Peel said that former Bolton North East Conservative MP Mark Logan’s defection to Labour had led to further “stonewalling” from the government.

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But he said he instead contacted Labour’s Angela Rayner, who has since been elected deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.

He said he was then pointed to a document that said the new government would still follow through on “stalled investment projects”

Cllr Peel said: “Further clarification confirmed that ‘stalled investment projects’ does include levelling up funds that have not been signed off, so that’s good news.”

He said that there was “no evidence” of the government intending to claw back funding.