Bolton has a budget of just £17,000 to maintain as much as 350km of footpaths all over the borough. This has been the case every year since 2017/18 sparking convers about overgrowing vegetation. A recent meeting town hall meeting heard that there had been particular worries about overgrowing around the Horwich and Blackrod area.
Cllr Charlotte Moncado-Sears, of Horwich North, said: “We are appalled to learn that only £17,000 has been allocated to the Public Rights of Way team. “In Horwich and Blackrod, it is now evident that this limited budget is insufficient for maintaining footpaths to an acceptable standard.” The issue was debated at Bolton Town Hall (Image: Newsquest) Addressing a full meeting of the council, Cllr Moncado-Sears asked what the authority’s leadership would to make sure that footpaths got the funding they need.
She said: “Furthermore, residents frequently complain about overgrown vegetation encroaching from private property, yet there seems to be reluctance in enforcing corrective measures. “How do you propose to address these issues to ensure our local rural links and footpaths are properly maintained?” In response, council cabinet member for transport, housing and highways, Cllr Hamid Khurram, said cited the budget that the Public Rights of Way team had to deal with. He said this had been £17,000 since 2017/18, which was intended to maintain the 350 km of public rights of way that the council is responsible for.
Cllr Khurram said: “The .
