This week, Bolton council debated calls for the borough to leave Greater Manchester after a petition with more than 3,000 names supporting the move was handed in. The petition requested a referendum in the borough on leaving the region and returning fully back into the county of Lancashire – from which it was removed in 1974.
Such change would result in a likely switch in who provides policing, fire and rescue, public transport, waste management and other services to Bolton. At the conclusion of Wednesday’s debate a majority of councillors voted in support of a motion which acknowledged Bolton’s Lancastrian heritage while supporting the current wider city region governance arrangements.
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We asked people out in Bolton town centre about their views on the matter…
Amid the background of preparations for this weekend’s huge UK Ironman events in Victoria Square, shoppers in Bolton were braving the summer rain.
It’s fair to say the vast majority of Boltonians spoken to consider their identity to be Lancastrian, but whether they see the need to move away from Greater Manchester entirely seemed to be a lot more nuanced.
Steven Ainscow, 62, from Farnworth said his ‘gut reaction’ would be to leave Greater Manchester. He said: “I was born in Lancashire and I’ve lived all my life as a Lancastrian.
“I support Bolton Wanderers and there’s a red rose in their badge to represent our county. That’s good enough for me and gives me great pride.
“If there was a referendum my gut reaction at first is I would vote to leave Greater Manchester, but I would need a lot more information on what that actually meant before making my final decision.
“I would need to know more, particularly about the financial implications.”
From the younger generation, Ashley Sharples, 28, from Breightmet, has a different view.
He said: “I’ve known nothing else than being from Greater Manchester. It’s been that way all my life- and at first glance I can’t see the benefits of any change.
“It’s not a big concern to me for Bolton to carry on being part of the Greater Manchester region.”
Joshua Phillips, 37, from Smithills, believes strongly that Bolton is a ‘poor relation’ as part of Greater Manchester’s combined authority.
He said: “The petition is right. Bolton gains nothing from Greater Manchester. We pay our taxes and get nothing back, nothing positive anyway.
“Look and the Clean Air Zone that nobody wants, that’s from Greater Manchester and will affect working people in the pocket.
“I’d vote for Bolton to join Lancashire tomorrow.”
Anne and Phil Hopkinson, from Bromley Cross, both strongly consider themselves Lancastrian. Phil, 66, said: “I put my address as Bolton, Lancashire and always have.
“Despite that, I think it would not necessarily be of benefit for such a big change. There’s a lot of financial pull and inward investment from Manchester and the other areas that I don’t think we’d get by changing.”
Anne, 62, said: “I don’t know whether any benefits would be enough if we had to have a different police force, fire service and change the whole local transport system.”
Lewis Cross, 49, is is fire service worker from Ealing, London, who has lived in Bolton for 22 years. He said: “I think there’s an element of snobbery about wanting a Lancashire address. “I can’t see any clear reason for making such a big change which and the consequences that would have.”
The motion in response to the petition was supported by a majority of councillors. In full, it said: “For the purpose of identity the council maintains its position that it has always been a part of the historic county of Lancashire.
“However for the purposes of certain administrative functions it works in partnership with nine other authorities as apart of the combined authority of Greater Manchester.
“For the purposes of these limited administrative functions a partnership with the GMCA is the best form of administration.”
