Bolton Lancashire

[Upward]

Bolton's death knell.

Bolton has always been a bleak industrial town. Several years ago when the Americans in the property seminars were telling the investors to go buy those them terraced houses with their credit cards they probably did.

Lots of hideous terraces, lots of converted mills and many new badly built apartments are a part of the towns landscape. The only redeeming feature that Bolton has is that the surrounding hills and countryside is breathtaking. Otherwise the town is perpetually held together by the council. A council that seems to think that Bolton will be on a par with Manchester. Not that there is really much to congratulate Manchester about.

I believe parts of Bolton came 20th in the list for its occupants receiving all manner of benefits. The wages are so poor that people have to get benefits from the council to prop them up. The yields, well what yields are there for the BTL brigade!! Most of the property is way overpriced. Noone really wants to come down on their prices. They are hanging in there though more for sale sign boards are going up with nonone buying. Capital gains will be minimal.

There is no real work here either. Most people get roped into voluntary work or care work. Training companies get meagre government funding to pass people from pillar to post in order to get some work. It is not working.

The council does not listen much to its indigenuous population. It quashed the 80,000+ signed petition to stop the overhaul of the Market Hall. Now that is going to become a cloned shopping mall with shops you can visit anywhere. They put a lot of small individual businesses out of business and killed off the community. They hope that the big names will come in and rent space in the Hall. However, if you look around the town centre there are dozens upon dozens of commercial property up for sale, for rent, with no takers. There are loads of charity shops and many £ shops. That says it all!!!

There is no soul to Bolton.

The council allowed 3 listed buildings to be pulled down in the centre of the town, again, against the wishes of the public. Why did the council not insist these property developers work with what they had. 2 cinemas and a wonderful fire station disappeared.

The fire station was replaced by what looks like an ugly giant office block called Marsden House (grand name for a shithole) but are supposed to be luxury flats. In the off-plan frenzy investors put their money into a basically badly built investment. The council allowed asylum seekers to occupy them. So those who live in the flats hate it. Those who invested with a view to selling on have been unable to get the inflated price they hoped for. The whole thing is a mess. This is not coming from my mouth but from a lettings agent who steared me away from initially renting there. However, I have been watching the prices closely and noone wants to pay for a pig in a poke.

One of the cinemas that has been replaced by some spacey 60's style block of flats has also suffered. The other cinema that has only been raised to the ground will probably follow suit.

Some of the estate agents have warned about buying any flats as BTLs are hard to rent out. Yet the council continues to approve the ever expanding building works of developments and investors pour their silly money into flats which are not saleable.

Lots of terraces take a long time to rent out and the dream of the recent and novice landlords is falling flat on its face.

There is not much you can do with an ailing town. I guess the government will have to continue providing a lifeline. The prognosis is not good. I defy anyone to say anything different.

[highneb]

Great Post. Your bang on as far as I'm concerned.

[Upward]

The latest on Bolton.................

Most speculators have long since gone and made their money.

The prices of property still appear to be too high.

Many people, like some of the deluded Americans, think that their property is worth much more than they really are!

Some people even think that by putting their property on with different estate agents, at last years prices, that they will fool the public into thinking that they have reduced their prices.

The developers are hanging on for dear life with their inflated prices by offering 75% ownership. But really, who wants to be saddled with a mortgage and then have to top it up with a rent!!!!!!!!!!!! Why don't they just drop their prices and cut their losses?

The council are suggesting that if there are enough signatures condoning congestion charges this will enable them to build a huge bus station next to the train station. The fact that they wasted a whole lot of money on a small reformed bus station next to the train station not so long ago suggests that the council is in a panic to turn Bolton around.

The Market Hall has taken far longer to restore and rebuild than the council anticipated. The grand opening date is scheduled for the 16th September 2008. Somehow I don't think the public really care. It will only have an abundance of cloned shops. It would have to be something really spectacular to make up for the loss of the many small businesses that were evicted some time ago.

With an increasing unemployment problem I really cannot see how Bolton can keep investing in a town that is dead. People are being pushed from the jobcentre onto the books of New Deal then if they do not get a job onto the books of companies like TNG to place people into dead end jobs.

The whole situation is escalating into a nightmare. Young kids roam the street with their multiple babies getting enormous support from the taxpayer's pocket. Drug addicts and Asbo's make some parts of the town centre a no-go area. Loads of incapacity benefit claimants are unemployable and want to remain that way.

The average income is way below the government quoted figures.

All this investment strategy and manipulation by the council will come to nothing because there is very little work that exists in Bolton!!!

[Yonmon]

All of which could be said also for Wigan, where I grew up.

Being near the M6 doesn't warrant prices at 7 x average income or more.

[Yonmon]

All of which could be said also for Wigan, where I grew up.

Being near the M6 doesn't warrant prices at 7 x average income or more.

[Rachman]

BTW, Marsden House has a lot of single female occupants who work from home and have a lot of male visitors...... and you also forgot the parking nazis that have stopped anyone from out of town daring to come to it.

[Guest theboltonfury]

BTW, Marsden House has a lot of single female occupants who work from home and have a lot of male visitors...... and you also forgot the parking nazis that have stopped anyone from out of town daring to come to it.

i can add nothing. a true joke town!

as an anecdote - i bought 32 salterton drive for 90k from new in 02. Sold for 184 in 06.

it's now on right move at 175k and has been hanging around for ages.

[juvenal]

Really good posts on here. Plenty of detail, which gives a good picture of the place and the atmosphere.

Local councils - how much more out of touch with public needs and desires can they get?

[Upward]

It seems that Bolton council will continue to dessimate the town even further to the tune of a 25m revamp of the recently built bus station next to the train station. They never learn! The latest proposal for this new bus station will not draw any new business to Bolton. The local press has already agued that the cost is twice what it should be!!! The council just want to keep on spending like mad on an ailing town. Why could they not have kept the two cinemas and refurbed them instead of allowing horrendous blocks of flats to be built?

The 25m would be better spent on refurbing the existing property languishing in the town centre and helping small businesses to provide work to those in need of jobs. A majority of the money should also go towards apprenticeships etc so that when there is a workforce it will enable people to buy homes and make renting viable. Others argue more trains should be provided to and from Bolton to facilitate its practically non-existent, overcrowded service to those who have work outside the district.

One of the cinemas's, a grade II listed property, has been domolished much to the consternation of the general public. In its place there will be a block of flats close to the old outdoor market and bus station. It will probably be poorly built, badly designed and way overpriced. For some reason, probably the credit crunch, all building works have been halted. There is now a dirty big hole there. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the developers would be liable for tax on an empty new build. Or, have they gone out of business?

The properties are not moving, the prices are sticking at the two-year old price. One house that I had planned to buy over two years ago eventually sold only to come back onto the market not once but twice in such a short period!!! There must be something wrong somewhere. Thank god I did not buy. I have friends who bought when the terraces were only £12,000 and they had made a killing. Now I would not buy here if the council paid me I would sooner invest abroad where you get value for money.

Sellers are not being reasonable and insist on hanging onto these inflated prices. Estate agents mutter such words as 'if this house was in London it would cost.............'. But we are not in London but Bolton I say!!! Both sellers and agents have made a pact in hell to keep prices artificially high. So if you are looking for a bargain forget it. If you are looking to successfully rent forget it.

[enragedlamb]

I agree with some of what you say I grew up in Bolton (well Farnworth which is the down market bit). It's not as bleak as you make out there are worse places to live. If you look at all the crap bits most places look undesirable.

You're right about the country side my parents now live up by White Coppice and it's great up there. I take my MTb home when I go so I can get up onto the hills for a few hours.

The Lostock side is fairly affluent (although that's not really Horwich). There are jobs and a good number of entrepreneurs in the area who have started succesful businesses which have become household brands. Not a great number of these are recent though so maybe things are in decline.

Don't really know much about the housing market as it's not somewhere I intend to live.

Wasn't Bolton the teenage pregnancy capital of Europe a few years ago. It does seem that any girl over the age of 14 is pushing a buggy.

It was so bad the football team moved out and is now in Horwich.

I'd like to finish by saying things could always be worse, you could live in Yorkshire

[Mancunian Way]

This Yorkshireman won't rise to that. Life here in the north west can be great. But economically it's pointing the wrong way towards an Empire that no longer exists. This recession is the final blow is a decline that started 80 years ago (not 60, Mr Darling). Even Manchester is way below potential with its rundown estates, clapped out infrastructure and sloppy service. For a second city it's a poor relation to Barcelona, Munich or Milan.

[Mr Yogi]

This Yorkshireman won't rise to that. Life here in the north west can be great. But economically it's pointing the wrong way towards an Empire that no longer exists. This recession is the final blow is a decline that started 80 years ago (not 60, Mr Darling). Even Manchester is way below potential with its rundown estates, clapped out infrastructure and sloppy service. For a second city it's a poor relation to Barcelona, Munich or Milan.

The best thing about Bolton used to be the swimming pool. I often used to take my kids there from

Stockport as it was the best baths in the area.

Then we went a couple of years ago and couldn't find it. They'd knocked the bloody place down!

Brainless...

[Upward]

The big whole in the ground, I heard on the grapevine, has well and truly been abandoned by the original builders!!! Just goes to show the council do not know what they are doing by allowing the old cinema to be pulled down by unethical developers and builders.

The grand opening of the market hall looms ever near but what kind of shops are going to display their goods and entice the poor and unemployed (who incidentally make up a huge proportion of the population) to spend their well earned and not so well-earned pennies.

I was born and bred in Bolton and I cannot say one good thing about it because the council has wrecked it with its grand hi-faluting ideas. Instead of assessing the real needs of the town it is disguising its fundamental problems. More flats, more developers knocking the stuffing out of the town is not the answer! The massive complex that they intend to build close to the town centre in the Croal Valley will not be able to conjure up jobs from thin air. There are no cotton mills or steel mills left and there are no big companies producing anything of value. They think that people living in Manchester may consider living in Bolton because it is cheaper. It is an ugly, ugly town. Bury is a much better town. Bury council have been more thoughtful and shown consideration to its public by building a pleasant, cohesive and inviting centre.

Bolton's current bus station, I was told by some commuters, was a no go area after 7pm. All the bus companies run a limited service after six in the evening and have allocated a couple of platforms where the public can catch the bus. Drug users, alcoholics and ASBOs profilerate so the bus company, in order to protect the public, have subjected everyone to a minimal service. At a time when the government is trying to encourage people to take the bus there are very few to be taken. How daft does that sound!

The Bolton Evening News, of years ago, tended to be a good local paper but now its news items and contents are thin on the ground because there is very little to report of any value.

It sounds as if I am bitter about the entire town. No it is more about the bundling idiotic council and its antics. Otherwise the older generation in the town are good decent human beings who have been given a raw deal.

[Guest AuntJess]

The latest on Bolton.................

Most speculators have long since gone and made their money.

The prices of property still appear to be too high.

Many people, like some of the deluded Americans, think that their property is worth much more than they really are!

Some people even think that by putting their property on with different estate agents, at last years prices, that they will fool the public into thinking that they have reduced their prices.

The developers are hanging on for dear life with their inflated prices by offering 75% ownership. But really, who wants to be saddled with a mortgage and then have to top it up with a rent!!!!!!!!!!!! Why don't they just drop their prices and cut their losses?

The council are suggesting that if there are enough signatures condoning congestion charges this will enable them to build a huge bus station next to the train station. The fact that they wasted a whole lot of money on a small reformed bus station next to the train station not so long ago suggests that the council is in a panic to turn Bolton around.

The Market Hall has taken far longer to restore and rebuild than the council anticipated. The grand opening date is scheduled for the 16th September 2008. Somehow I don't think the public really care. It will only have an abundance of cloned shops. It would have to be something really spectacular to make up for the loss of the many small businesses that were evicted some time ago.

With an increasing unemployment problem I really cannot see how Bolton can keep investing in a town that is dead. People are being pushed from the jobcentre onto the books of New Deal then if they do not get a job onto the books of companies like TNG to place people into dead end jobs.

The whole situation is escalating into a nightmare. Young kids roam the street with their multiple babies getting enormous support from the taxpayer's pocket. Drug addicts and Asbo's make some parts of the town centre a no-go area. Loads of incapacity benefit claimants are unemployable and want to remain that way.

The average income is way below the government quoted figures.

All this investment strategy and manipulation by the council will come to nothing because there is very little work that exists in Bolton!!!

Agree with all you say. Bolton has had the dirty done on it time and time again, by self-serving councillors. Masons rule the roost there. A fact well-known across this country for at least 40 years.

Favouritism, nepotism and self-interest have turned that town into a hellhole. I pity anyone still living there.

The Market Hall was a tourist draw and a place of Bolton's pride and history. They have ruined it now, by removing one of the things that made Bolton unique. I make no doubt that money changed hands to betray the township...30 pieces of silver, perhaps?

Edited September 3, 2008 by AuntJess

[Upward]

The council are begging the local people to contact them and make suggestions for improving Bolton. They have a cheek when they have totally ignored the residents over and over again. The time limit for the public submissions are very short indeed.

I suppose if the public do not contribute this time round the council members will have a field day saying that there was a lack of interest.

I think the council members ought to extend the deadline and give voting rights to the public to stop them from manipulating, influencing and overspending on daft strategies, developments and unnecessary blocks of flats.

[Guest AuntJess]

The council are begging the local people to contact them and make suggestions for improving Bolton. They have a cheek when they have totally ignored the residents over and over again. The time limit for the public submissions are very short indeed.

I suppose if the public do not contribute this time round the council members will have a field day saying that there was a lack of interest.

I think the council members ought to extend the deadline and give voting rights to the public to stop them from manipulating, influencing and overspending on daft strategies, developments and unnecessary blocks of flats.

IMO the council members of Bolton are beneath contempt... as are the ones in Farnworth. I never forgot the demise of the beautiful building that housed Farnworth Grammar School; who and why it was reduced to rubble and the land sold to developers.

Greed and envy: it certainly thrives in high places.

[Upward]

Well the day arrived where the extended/refurbed section of the town hall was opened to the tune of 40 million.

If adding a Zara, Lush and H&M are the indications of future development in Bolton god help us. Quite of few of the shops are not let and one handbag shop moved from across the street to take a place in the new environment.

There were mixed reactions from the public about the new place. People came out of curiosity to see what had been done but I think eventually the curiosity will peter out and the punters will go to Manchester instead.

If you look around Bolton more and more shops are vacating and literally shutting up shop in the town. The rents and rates are too steep.

The council is still persisting in its fight to glamourise a town which is basically toppling over on benefits.

Again the council a looking to demolish yet another lovely old building. They say it would cost too much to refurbish and have decided to make it into another car park. They are absolutely mad. The car parking fees are keeping most people away from Bolton. On the one hand they want to attract more visitors to Bolton but are suffocating the town with expensive car parks.

Do we have dunces running the council?

[Guest theboltonfury]

Well the day arrived where the extended/refurbed section of the town hall was opened to the tune of 40 million.

If adding a Zara, Lush and H&M are the indications of future development in Bolton god help us. Quite of few of the shops are not let and one handbag shop moved from across the street to take a place in the new environment.

There were mixed reactions from the public about the new place. People came out of curiosity to see what had been done but I think eventually the curiosity will peter out and the punters will go to Manchester instead.

If you look around Bolton more and more shops are vacating and literally shutting up shop in the town. The rents and rates are too steep.

The council is still persisting in its fight to glamourise a town which is basically toppling over on benefits.

Again the council a looking to demolish yet another lovely old building. They say it would cost too much to refurbish and have decided to make it into another car park. They are absolutely mad. The car parking fees are keeping most people away from Bolton. On the one hand they want to attract more visitors to Bolton but are suffocating the town with expensive car parks.

Do we have dunces running the council?

part of the reason I said my goodbyes to this weird town

[Guest AuntJess]

Well the day arrived where the extended/refurbed section of the town hall was opened to the tune of 40 million.

If adding a Zara, Lush and H&M are the indications of future development in Bolton god help us. Quite of few of the shops are not let and one handbag shop moved from across the street to take a place in the new environment.

There were mixed reactions from the public about the new place. People came out of curiosity to see what had been done but I think eventually the curiosity will peter out and the punters will go to Manchester instead.

If you look around Bolton more and more shops are vacating and literally shutting up shop in the town. The rents and rates are too steep.

The council is still persisting in its fight to glamourise a town which is basically toppling over on benefits.

Again the council a looking to demolish yet another lovely old building. They say it would cost too much to refurbish and have decided to make it into another car park. They are absolutely mad. The car parking fees are keeping most people away from Bolton. On the one hand they want to attract more visitors to Bolton but are suffocating the town with expensive car parks.

Do we have dunces running the council?

No just greedy Bs taking back-handers, IMO The market Hall should NEVER have been changed. Those t*ssers have just ripped the heart out of Bolton.