Bolton’s Greenspace strategy sets out how the council plans to protect, enhance and expand our parks, woodlands, nature reserves, playing fields and blue spaces.
This is important because green and blue spaces contribute to community life and deliver an estimated £1bn in benefits across Greater Manchester every year.
The challenge
Greater Manchester is working hard to reverse declining species, fragmented habitats and poor water quality in our rivers and waterways.
Bolton has an important part to play in conservation efforts across the region.
Our diverse landscapes include important areas for plants and animals like upland oak woods, restored peatlands such as Red Moss, and post-industrial sites like the calcareous grasslands at Nob End.
The borough supports moorlands birds, seven species of bat, and rare plants found nowhere else in Greater Manchester, such as carline thistle and oak fern.
What we want to do
Our aim is to have more places where people can enjoy nature, and to make them better quality.
We want everyone to be able to reach quality green and blue spaces easily.
Working with communities and partners will be an important part of making sure our spaces reflect local needs and support a wide range of plants and animals.
Bolton’s public open spaces should also be safe, with less anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.
To make this happen, we will monitor sites, work with residents and put in place a Safe Parks programme.
The council, together with voluntary groups, charities and residents, will work to protect and improve existing spaces, tackle invasive species like Japanese knotweed, and ensure that nature is part of new developments.
The council and its partners will prioritise access for vulnerable groups and make it easier for diverse and low-income communities to get to and around public open spaces.
The priorities
The strategy aims to ensure that publicly accessible open spaces across the borough are:
- Safe open spaces
- Protected for all
- Equally accessible to all
To achieve these priorities the strategy includes the following themes:
- Communities
- Biodiversity and offsetting
- Local nature recovery
- Landscape and the visitor economy
- Health and wellbeing
- Climate and sustainability
Read the full Greenspace strategy. [insert link]