What's going on? Had to venture into our Town Centre yesterday, Cattle Market has bit the dust, The York was shut and on Bradshawgate, all the block from the Bookies on the corner to the old BMW place is empty (Including The Leena - no great loss, the new indian restaurant up the road is good).

 

Over the road the news stand that's been there since forever has also shut up shop. Perhaps the declining sales of 'toddy mags', due to the internet, was the final nail in the coffin?

 

Is this sommat to do with the new bus/rail interchange they're planning? It's going to be almost as welcoming as the current 'Gateway to Bolton' (you know, the one way street leading out of town...)

 

It's embarrassing when the likes of Bury and even Wigan, are showing us up as a right shithole.

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by Youri McAnespie

I write software, any noggin can tell me when my software is broken. I don't expect them to fix it for me.

 

Maybe I should try the head in the sand approach?

 

It's not a case of head in the sand it's a case of understanding the issues faced by the town and the limitations on what the council can actually do.

You tried on a bra sat next to Michael Knight?? Respect.

 

 

It's not a case of head in the sand it's a case of understanding the issues faced by the town and the limitations on what the council can actually do.

But Frank, do they listen and engage with folk?

It's not a case of head in the sand it's a case of understanding the issues faced by the town and the limitations on what the council can actually do.

back in the day Frank 80 % of bolton are terrace houses

 

who paid rates at roughley £100 a year

 

now its at least a grand so were have you spunked all that extre money

 

and there ard 18000 council houses thats some rent each week

But Frank, do they listen and engage with folk?

 

How do you mean?

 

'Yes mrs goggins there is an awful lot of empty units' but until the the landlords reduce their rents to attract businesses or we get a developer with funding willing to build in bolton there's sadly not a lot we can do about it.'

 

The council can only source funding for certain things, bath, education, public transport, public realm that kind of stuff what it can't do without private investment or the kind of government grants that dont exist anymore is large scale regeneration projects and that is what's needed in bolton

 

According to a chap at Bluemantle developers are willing to do the work but there's no money out there unless you want to build a supermarket as they're the only ones with any money.

 

Whitt not even per household but if every person (260000) in the borough paid £1000 to the council that's around £2.6m which is sod all in the scheme of the councils annual budget.

It was a general comment regarding Boltin Council?

We are their clients, we pay their wage, yet I doubt very much Joe Public is ever engaged with.

 

 

 

Whitt not even per household but if every person (260000) in the borough paid £1000 to the council that's around £2.6m which is sod all in the scheme of the councils annual budget.

 

Its £260m. But as you said not every person in the borough is paying the tax.

each ward has 3 councillors who have phones and email and regular drop in sesssions.

Plus there's area forums, town councils etc

 

there's plenty of engagement.

 

Is there something they don't do that you think they should?

Its £260m. But as you said not every person in the borough is paying the tax.

 

as diddles would say 'maths fail!'

each ward has 3 councillors who have phones and email and regular drop in sesssions.

Plus there's area forums, town councils etc

 

there's plenty of engagement.

 

Is there something they don't do that you think they should?

So we have to go to them?

Not very proactive that. If you consider them having a phone and email address is engagement then our definitions differ.

So we have to go to them?

Not very proactive that. If you consider them having a phone and email address is engagement then our definitions differ.

 

You're not happy with phoning or emailing ... and you can't be arsed to go see them.

 

But you'll happily complain your voice can't/wont be heard?

 

 

You're not happy with phoning or emailing ... and you can't be arsed to go see them.

 

But you'll happily complain your voice can't/wont be heard?

. You didn't read my post properly.

t'would appear so.

t'would appear so.

I have no issue with emailing or phoning but should they not be reaching out in general rather than waiting for a call/mail,

The vast majority of those they speak to are probably the same folk week in week out,

Get out on the streets of a weekend and ask the public their opinions.

Maybe I've got a hair brained idea here but to me that's proactivity.

What is the format of these 'regular drop-in sessions' of which Frank speaks? Genuine question.

 

now its at least a grand so were have you spunked all that extre money

 

I reckon he's spent a large chunk of it on Wrestlemania tickets and Hulk Hogan bandanas

I've done a check for my councillors, one is the wife of the bloke who pulled the swindle of putting himself top of the list for buying council houses and has a list of businesses longer than this thread.

 

I've got 100% faith they'd give a shit what I thought.

... to me that's proactivity.

 

Isn't that a kind of yogurt?

the limitations on what the council can actually do.

 

 

The £1 billion transformation of the town centre

 

 

 

can't argue they've not transformed it

Edited July 17, 201213 yr by Casino

What is the format of these 'regular drop-in sessions' of which Frank speaks? Genuine question.

 

They're supposed to hold surgeries where residents can go to them and discuss any issues.

 

Dunno if they do or not.

The £1 billion transformation of the town centre

 

 

 

can't argue they've not transformed it

 

Positive spin used to the extreme granted

but add up the cost of the colleges, baths, car parks, surfacing and public realm work and throw in the odd bit of private sector schemes (the mess that is the picture house, the empty offices on Bark Street, travelodge and a few others) and it probably won't be far off the billion quid.

 

things aren't rosy i'm not saying they are i'm just saying it's the same in nigh on every other old industrial town.

 

As i said earlier Beales in skipton is closing down and the rest of the town had empty units galore.

 

Read any local papers letters page or the comments on their website and they're all the same.

 

my town is shite/the traffic wardens are too strict/parking costs too much (delete as appropriate) i prefer to got to the neighbouring town/retail outlet.

 

Visit Peterbrough/Hartlepool/Bradford they're all in the same boat.

I've done a check for my councillors, one is the wife of the bloke who pulled the swindle of putting himself top of the list for buying council houses and has a list of businesses longer than this thread.

 

I've got 100% faith they'd give a shit what I thought.

I'm guessing you refer to Jim Sherrington's missus.

 

http://www.lgcplus.c...1647607.article

 

Call me childish, but the spelling of councillor in the headline made me laugh.

Edited July 17, 201213 yr by THunter

I thought that out of the many online comments in the BEN, this one best summed up that useless fat socialist cunt, the so-called council leader.

 

The problem is that the council figurehead is the much-maligned Cliff Morris. He's a fat, old man and will understandably see the town through the eyes of a fat, old man. His direction of Smithills Coaching house would appear to be echoed by his direction of the town - and it's a bleak outlook sprouting from years of neglect. We have in Bolton a large ethnic population, but where's our Rusholme or Chinatown? Where are our "quarters"? Where are the spaces for the small cafes & bistros to start up and grow into something great? Choked by the rotund councillor's chubby fingers? What the town needs is a movement that has vision, that can weed out the choking, stagnent undergrowth that has been nurtured by an equally choking, stagnent council. The focus on trying to be a city, with the larger brands associated with the city is surely wrong? Why would anyone jump on a train to another copycat town when they have Wigan, Bury, Chorley & of course Middlebrook in easy striking distance? Manchester's only about 20 mins away as is Preston. It's fairly simple, do what's always been done and you'll get the same results - so get the stagnent, lumbering, old man out and bring in fresh-thinking and energetic youth with radical ideas and the drive to succeed.

 

 

 

things aren't rosy i'm not saying they are i'm just saying it's the same in nigh on every

 

other old industrial town.

 

Visit Peterbrough/Hartlepool/Bradford they're all in the same boat.

 

Bury seem to be hiding their shithole of an industrial town centre better than Bolton.

 

 

They're supposed to hold surgeries where residents can go to them and discuss any issues.

 

Dunno if they do or not.

 

They all do in Breightmet. Area Forums are poorly attended yet all the help you need is there. All top people you can air your views to attend these meetings, from councillors, Police, Officers from some depts of the council. You can talk to them Face-to-face or just carry on moaning on here. Its up to you and how much you care I suppose.