A PREGNANT woman has criticised Bolton Council's decision to regenerate Nelson Square.

Amanda Collingborn believes the £300,000 cost of the scheme would have been better spent creating facilities for children in the borough's housing estates.

The 35-year-old claimed crime was rife in some areas of Bolton because youngsters had little to do.

She said a number of pleas to the council to spend money on play areas were always met by "hundreds of stupid excuses".

Miss Collingborn, who lives on Farnworth's Highfield Estate, said: "There are no decent facilities for children in the area and the council always says it have no money.

Thousands

"I then see they are spending thousands on Nelson Square which looks fine as it is.

"All they are doing is lifting flags and putting down new ones.

"The residents' association on our estate wanted £46,000 to upgrade a local park but we were told the money wasn't available."

She said her five-year-old son, Gerrard, has nowhere to play and she fears her baby will have the same problems.

Nelson Square is to be returned to its Victorian splendour with the laying of high grade Yorkstone flags on the footpaths and granite setts on the carriageways.

work is expected to take 14 weeks.

A council spokesman said: "We work on behalf of the borough and take each scheme we complete on merit.

"The Nelson Square scheme was funded by European Regional Development Fund money."