A heated debate erupted at the town hall over “misleading” quotes, “integrity” and even a reference to the notorious “Asons” scandal during a motion about pothole repairs. The motion was put by Conservative Cllr John Walsh and called on the council to write to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Bolton’s three MPs asking the government to tackle pothole repairs. But Cllr Walsh’s claim that Sir Keir’s position flew in the face of Bolton Labour leader Cllr Nick Peel’s position on potholes proved to be highly controversial.
Cllr Walsh, of Astley Bridge, said: “It is interesting that the issue of potholes is not a new occurrence. “I was reading as a matter of interest the 1792 Bolton Enclosure Act which placed a duty on the then trustees of Great and Little Bolton and their successors, so it is our duty to fill potholes.” Potholes have long been a cause of concern throughout Bolton (Image: Public) He added: “Their duty was to fence and light them so that horses and carts and travellers didn’t fall into potholes.
” Cllr Walsh said that this responsibility persisted to the present day and called on the council to make this clear to the newly elected government. But his claim that Labour’s Cllr Peel had said that potholes were “not his priority” as well as making this call to the new government so soon into its tenure prompted a lively argument. Liberal Democrat Cllr David Wilkinson, of Westhoughton South, argued that 14 previous years of Conservativ.