IN February, during a full meeting of the Council, a budget was passed that would see £1m invested in facilities at Bolton One, a location that currently has little parking provision and is currently used by only a fraction of the 260,000 residents of the town.

At the same meeting the Bolton Liberal Democrats put forward an amendment seeking to postpone this scheme and instead invest in priorities that would benefits everyone in the town. Had this amendment passed not only would we have seen schemes like the free breakfast clubs; road safety initiatives and 3g pitches — but the council would have also committed to investing £.5 million in helping the homeless back into accommodation and employment; half a million invested to stimulate high-value industry within the town; and more than £6m invested in maintaining our roads and footpaths.

Despite all these things being high priorities for residents of the town, Bolton Labour, Bolton UKIP and the Bolton Tories all decided to vote against it.

I would like to invite all councillors to write in reply and explain to residents why they chose to vote against the amendment that would have prevented the ever increasing levels of rough sleeping in the town (700% rise in rough sleeping over the last two years).

Why they decided not to support an amendment that would have gone some way to encourage positive wage growth in a town where average hourly wages are the second lowest in Greater Manchester and almost £2 lower than our neighbours, Bury. And why they chose to ignore calls for more funding for road maintenance which would have seen three times as many potholes filled, roads resurfaced and pavements maintained over the next two years.

It wouldn't have anything to do with the amendment also calling for a reduction to the ridiculous £205,000 being paid out in Special Responsibility Allowances to councillors — £169,000 of which is shared between no less than 25 Labour councillors — would it?

Kevin Walsh

Bolton Liberal Democrats

Harper Green