Key Points
- · Bolton Council is creating new public roles focused on maintaining and improving the borough’s parks, green spaces, and public realms.
- · The initiatives align with Bolton’s broader environment and regeneration strategies aimed at protecting biodiversity, increasing community access, and enhancing quality of life.
- · Partnership working is central, with the council collaborating with local organisations, volunteers, and businesses.
- · Significant funding from government and partners supports tree planting, green space maintenance, and community events.
- · New employment and apprenticeship opportunities are being created alongside the physical improvements.
- · These efforts contribute to wider health, environmental, and social goals, including tackling air quality and increasing physical activity.
- · Councillors highlight the importance of these roles in sustaining Bolton’s environment and supporting community wellbeing.
What new roles are being created to maintain Bolton’s public spaces?
As reported by Bolton Council, new roles are being established to help upkeep and enhance public spaces across Bolton. These roles focus on active maintenance and fostering community engagement in green space care and conservation.
The council’s environment priority, outlined in its strategic documents, commits to supporting Bolton’s environment so that more people can enjoy, care for, and be active in it. Part of this priority includes enabling groups and individuals to take leadership in managing parks, woods, orchards, and other public areas, ensuring high standards of upkeep and biodiversity enhancement.
In particular, the council works closely with partners such as environmental charities, volunteer groups, and regeneration projects to implement these roles. Recruitment is underway for “Active Lives Champions” and similar positions that focus on encouraging local people to engage with outdoor spaces, promoting activities that benefit health and wellbeing, and delivering targeted maintenance tasks.
Councillor Nick Peel, Leader of Bolton Council, recently visited regeneration sites to assess how these initiatives are progressing and spoke positively about the opportunities these roles provide to local residents, both for jobs and skills development.
How does Bolton’s regeneration programme support employment in public space maintenance?
Bolton’s regeneration efforts are not only about physical redevelopment but also about creating new jobs and building local skills. For example, the Placefirst development on Central Street is transforming a brownfield site into 167 quality homes, involving local labourers, apprentices, and keyholders who contribute to construction and maintenance.
Vinny Murray, a labourer at the Central Street site and a beneficiary of the council’s Restart Scheme, praises the support received in gaining new skills and employment in projects that improve Bolton’s built and green environments. Apprentices like Nathan Worrall also gain vital experience working on these major town centre developments.
Such roles feed into the broader aim of ensuring that Bolton’s public and green spaces are well maintained and integrated into community life. This approach helps local people contribute directly to the betterment of their environment while enhancing their employment prospects.
What environmental improvements are planned or underway across Bolton’s public spaces?
Bolton’s comprehensive environmental plan includes multiple projects to improve parks, tree coverage, biodiversity, and community access. Recent successes include:
- · Queens Park receiving the Green Flag Award for seven consecutive years, recognising high-quality standards.
- · Longsight Park being honoured with the Community Green Flag Award three years running, maintained predominantly by volunteers.
- · Planting of 13,500 new trees in partnership with City of Trees, creating 7.5 hectares of new woodland.
- · Establishment of five community orchards including the Blackrod community orchard planted in 2022.
- · Securing £85,000 from the Levelling Up Parks Fund to improve green space access in deprived areas.
· Continuing outreach through Bolton NEWT to enhance biodiversity around Leverhulme Park with conservation volunteer sessions and educational activities.
According to Bolton Council environment officers, maintaining such standards requires ongoing work, including new roles dedicated to public space maintenance, volunteer coordination, and community engagement.
What partnerships support the maintenance and improvement of Bolton’s public spaces?
Bolton Council emphasises a “place leadership” approach, enabling varied partners to do what is best for residents. They work alongside:
- · Environmental groups such as Bolton NEWT and Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
- · Volunteer groups who help with park maintenance and conservation.
- · External organisations involved in large funding schemes like the Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund.
- · Health and sports bodies engaged in promoting outdoor activities in council parks.
- · Regeneration and housing developers who incorporate green spaces within new developments.
This cooperative approach strengthens the delivery and sustainability of projects, ensuring that public spaces remain accessible, safe, and well-maintained.
How do these initiatives contribute to wider health and social goals in Bolton?
The council’s Active Lives strategy links directly with environmental improvements. The recruitment of Active Lives Champions aims to motivate residents to use green spaces more for physical activity, benefiting health across age groups. These roles focus on programmes such as Start Well (children), Live Well (adults), and Age Well (older people), supporting mobility and wellbeing.
Bolton Council also refers to partnerships with public health organisations and health service providers to build joined-up approaches, as seen in coordination with HIPs, social prescribers, and cardiac rehab programmes.
Improving air quality is another key objective, with the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan informing Bolton’s strategic environment actions. Enhancing green spaces ties into reducing carbon footprints and pollution mitigation.
What challenges does Bolton face in maintaining public spaces and how is the council addressing them?
One of the challenges is ensuring the ongoing upkeep amid financial constraints and increasing demand for access to quality green spaces. The council acknowledges that approximately 1,500 people need assistance with serious property concerns and 700 vulnerable residents require support to avoid rough sleeping. This context highlights the importance of well-maintained public spaces as safe and supportive environments.
Bolton Council’s Plan for 2025-2028 addresses these challenges by prioritising investment in environmental improvements and supporting vulnerable residents. The council’s leadership stresses that public space maintenance roles are a key lever for improving community cohesion, crime reduction, and climate resilience.
What are local leaders saying about these efforts?
Bolton Council Leader Cllr Nick Peel said during a site visit that investment in green spaces and public realm maintenance is “central to creating a thriving, healthy Bolton where everyone can enjoy their environment.”
Councillor Peel also praised the role of local people in volunteering and called for more residents to get involved in caring for parks and community spaces.
The council’s regeneration and environment officers repeatedly highlight that new job roles, apprenticeships, and volunteer coordination are vital for sustaining the positive momentum in Bolton’s public spaces.
How can residents get involved?
Residents interested in contributing to maintaining and improving Bolton’s public spaces are encouraged to volunteer with local environmental groups or engage with council-led activities such as tree planting and conservation sessions.
The recruitment of Active Lives Champions and other community-engagement roles offers formal opportunities for people to be directly involved in shaping and caring for their local environment.
Bolton Council regularly communicates updates and opportunities through their website and community notices to keep people informed and involved.