Bolton residents can help shape the borough’s future by having their say on plans for homes, jobs and infrastructure.
Two public consultations have launched today to collect feedback on both Bolton’s draft Local Plan and on planning guidance for land west of Wingates.
Local Plan
Councils across England are required to develop a Local Plan, identifying how they will meet growing need for housing, employment space and public services.
“Bolton’s Draft Local: Plan Direction of Travel” sets out the boroughs ambition for healthier, greener and better-connected places.
It presents different options for where development could be focused and asks for views on themes like housing, open space, design, transport and infrastructure.
All feedback from the consultation will help shape the new Bolton Local Plan, which will be published for comment in Summer 2026.
The council will then submit it to the Planning Inspectorate for an independent examination.
Once adopted, the final plan will streamline the planning process and give the council more control over how and where development happens.
West of Wingates Masterplan
Places for Everyone is the joint plan for nine Greater Manchester councils.
Approved in 2024, it includes allocation of land to the west of the Wingates near Westhoughton.
The area has been earmarked for a 440,000 sq m modern industrial and warehousing space that could bring more than 6,000 new jobs into the borough.
Bolton Council has now produced a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) masterplan for the site.
SPDs provide an overall vision for specific sites, establishing guidelines on issues like access, landscaping, design and sustainability.
The draft SPD sets out how the West of Wingates employment area can attract businesses, support new jobs and strengthen the local economy, while still fitting well with the surrounding area.
It includes integrated green corridors, new wildlife areas and safer walking and cycling routes that link to surrounding neighbourhoods.
Feedback from the consultation will be used to draft the final SPD.
This will then be used as a benchmark for individual planning applications to ensure they are in keeping with the overarching masterplan for the area.
How to take part
Both consultations are available online, with paper copies also available.
As part of the consultation process, a series of Local Plan drop-in sessions will also be held across the borough where residents can view the Direction of Travel plans in person and ask questions.
Additionally, a drop-in session will be held in Westhoughton where residents can also view and ask questions on the draft West of Wingates Masterplan SPD.
Full details of dates and times of these sessions will be available on the Bolton Council website.
Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said:
“The new Local Plan will set out how we can meet the growing demand for new houses, workplaces and public facilities.
“It allows the people of Bolton to have their say on where these developments should take place, which is why we want to hear from residents, businesses, community groups, developers and other stakeholders.
“Your feedback on the important choices we need to make will help us create a robust Local Plan that supports strong economic growth and improves the quality of our towns and neighbourhoods.
“Meanwhile, West of Wingates has enormous potential to create good jobs, attract new businesses, and strengthen our position in the regional economy.
“The results of both of these consultations will have a significant impact on our borough for years to come, and I urge everyone to have their say.”
Both consultations will run for eight weeks and close on January 22, 2026.
For more information, visit bolton.gov.uk/consultations.