Should Bolton leave Greater Manchester? Residents give their opinion
02.07.2023 - 07:09
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
This week, Bolton council debated calls for the borough to leave Greater Manchester after a petition with more than 3,000 names supporting the move was handed in. The petition requested a referendum in the borough on leaving the region and returning fully back into the county of Lancashire – from which it was removed in 1974.
Such change would result in a likely switch in who provides policing, fire and rescue, public transport, waste management and other services to Bolton. At the conclusion of Wednesday’s debate a majority of councillors voted in support of a motion which acknowledged Bolton’s Lancastrian heritage while supporting the current wider city region governance arrangements.
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We asked people out in Bolton town centre about their views on the matter…
Amid the background of preparations for this weekend’s huge UK Ironman events in Victoria Square, shoppers in Bolton were braving the summer rain.It’s fair to say the vast majority of Boltonians spoken to consider their identity to be Lancastrian, but whether they see the need to move away from Greater Manchester entirely seemed to be a lot more nuanced.
Steven Ainscow, 62, from Farnworth said his ‘gut reaction’ would be to leave Greater Manchester. He said: “I was born in Lancashire and I’ve lived all my life as a Lancastrian.
“I support Bolton Wanderers and there’s a red rose in their badge to represent our county. That’s good enough for me and gives me great pride.
“If there was a referendum my gut reaction at first is I would vote to leave Greater Manchester, but I would need a lot more information on what that actually meant before making my final decision.
“I