Bolton Council’s Green Spaces Strategy Consultation 2025-2040 Launched

In Bolton Council News by News Desk July 22, 2025

Bolton Council’s Green Spaces Strategy Consultation 2025-2040 Launched

Credit: mancunianmatters.co.uk / tupungato

Key Points

  • Bolton Council has launched a public consultation on its draft Green Spaces Strategy (2025-2040), outlining long-term plans for the town's parks, natural reserves and outdoor spaces.
  • The new strategy seeks views from residents, landowners, community groups, and stakeholders until 29 August 2025.
  • Vision includes making green spaces essential to Bolton’s sustainable growth, community wellbeing, health, climate resilience and biodiversity.
  • The draft strategy supports Bolton’s Vision 2030 and Climate Change Strategy, aiming for net zero council operations by 2030.
  • Objectives include protecting existing green land, enhancing accessibility, promoting biodiversity and encouraging community partnerships.
  • Proposals follow broader development conversations, including the 'Call for Sites'—inviting suggestions for land that should be developed or protected.
  • Feedback from the consultation will influence investment priorities and management approaches for the next 15 years.
  • Councillors stress the importance of local voices to ensure green space investments meet community needs.
  • Previous local plans highlighted catchment gaps in particular areas, the need for improvement in site management, new tree planting, and youth engagement.
  • The council partners with organisations like Red Rose Forest and City of Trees to deliver its green ambitions.

Bolton Council has kickstarted an ambitious consultation seeking input from the public and stakeholders on its draft Green Spaces Strategy for 2025-2040, a blueprint set to shape the borough’s natural environment for a generation. The move marks a significant commitment to protecting and enhancing parks, open land, and recreational spaces as the town looks to balance development, climate, health, and community needs.

What Is the Green Spaces Vision Consultation?

The consultation, officially launched by Bolton Council, presents a comprehensive draft strategy with objectives for sustainable management and development of green spaces across the borough for the next fifteen years. As reported by the council’s consultation website,

“Bolton Council is seeking feedback on the draft Green Spaces Strategy, which outlines the Council's vision and objectives for its green spaces for the next 15 years”.

Residents, community organisations, landowners, and businesses have until 29 August 2025 to voice their views through an online survey and by attending scheduled public events.

Why Is Bolton Council Consulting on Green Spaces?

As outlined in the council’s documentation, the ambition is to ensure that

“green spaces will be essential to sustainable growth, they will improve our communities and provide benefits across health, wellbeing, biodiversity, and play a vital role in climate resilience”. 

The strategy is designed to inform investment priorities, guide planning and development decisions, and underpin the broader objectives set by Bolton’s Vision 2030 and Climate Change Strategy.

Cllr Akhtar Zaman, Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, recently highlighted the value of public feedback, stating,

“Reviewing our Local Plan makes sure our planning policies more accurately represent the needs of Bolton residents. It is important we balance the future needs of residents for new housing, employment, health, and leisure with the responsibility of preserving what makes Bolton special” as reported by Bolton Council News.

How Does the Draft Strategy Fit Within Bolton’s Broader Plans?

The Green Spaces Strategy underpins several already-established policies. Bolton’s Climate Change Strategy, adopted in 2021, targets net zero council operations by 2030 and identifies the enhancement of green spaces and tree planting as key levers for decarbonisation and climate adaptation.

As outlined in the official summary, the strategy advocates for:

  • Planting more street and woodland trees,
  • Promoting walking and cycling routes in green corridors,
  • Supporting biodiversity through nature-friendly land management,
  • Engaging communities and volunteers in management efforts,
  • Aligning new developments with green objectives.

The vision for Bolton is articulated as creating “good quality and accessible open space, sport and recreational opportunities in order to support Bolton being a great place to grow up, live, learn, work, do business and visit,” according to the council's Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy.

What Key Priorities and Objectives Are Outlined?

According to the frequently asked questions published by Bolton Council, the draft Green Spaces Strategy is guided by several priorities, including:

  • Safeguarding and improving existing green and open spaces,
  • Enhancing accessibility for all residents,
  • Encouraging active lifestyles through well-maintained parks, play areas, sports and recreation facilities,
  • Promoting biodiversity through rewilding, tree planting, and pollution reduction,
  • Working with partners, such as Red Rose Forest and City of Trees, to amplify delivery.

Additional points from the detailed 2007 Open Space Strategy still inform the council’s approach, with aims to:

  • Rectify geographical gaps in amenity and natural spaces,
  • Enhance low-value sites for public benefit,
  • Deter antisocial behaviour on open land,
  • Support the formation of ‘friends of’ groups for strategic management.

What Role Does the Community Play in Shaping the Green Spaces Strategy?

The consultation places a premium on community involvement. As stated on the council’s official consultation hub,

“Bolton Council is seeking feedback on the draft Green Spaces Strategy, which outlines the council’s vision and objectives for its green spaces for the next 15 years”.

The public is encouraged to contribute via a dedicated online survey, submit suggestions on sites for conservation or enhancement, and participate in town hall meetings scheduled throughout the consultation period. The “Call for Sites” element extends this approach by inviting stakeholders to propose land for either protection or development, ensuring the Local Plan reflects the needs and aspirations of communities.

Mr Tom Stott, a local developer, noted in a planning report that such consultations are vital for

“balancing new affordable housing development on greenfield sites with the requirement to improve and protect adjacent remaining green spaces by enhancing biodiversity and amenity value”.

How Will Feedback Influence the Green Spaces Vision?

Bolton Council states that input from the consultation will be instrumental in finalising the 2025-2040 strategy, shaping everything from priority projects and investment plans to the detailed management approaches for parks, woodlands, and sports areas.

As per the council report,

“The consultation feedback will help inform Bolton Council’s investment in green spaces and related infrastructure, determine how sites are prioritised for improvement, and help ensure decision-making reflects community needs and values”.

Past feedback has shaped commitments such as:

  • Delivering new or improved green spaces where catchment gaps are identified,
  • Investing in mobile rangers and management plans for local nature reserves,
  • Raising public awareness and education about local sites.

What Are the Implications for Development and the Environment?

The Green Spaces Strategy consultation exists in tandem with other long-term spatial planning exercises. The recent ‘Call for Sites’ process, detailed by Westhoughton Town Council and Bolton Local Plan communications, ensures that both development and preservation priorities are grounded in public input.

Policies such as “Places for Everyone”, a Greater Manchester joint development plan, have already earmarked sites for new homes and jobs while requiring robust green infrastructure and environmental commitments from all councils involved.

Sustainable landscape management, flood risk reduction, air quality improvements, and opportunities for biodiversity net gain are all cited as expected benefits if the Green Spaces Strategy is implemented fully.

What Happens Next?

The draft strategy consultation runs until 29 August 2025. All feedback will be collated, reviewed, and incorporated into a final version due for approval later in the year. The completed Green Spaces Strategy will be published as the guiding document for the next fifteen years’ investment and management decisions on parks and open spaces across Bolton.

Bolton Council urges individuals and organisations invested in the future of the borough’s green infrastructure to participate in the consultation. As stated on the official consultation platform,

“Your views matter and will help to shape the investment, protection, and improvement of Bolton’s green spaces for the benefit of everyone”.