5 things to look out for in Bolton in 2015

1. In February, councillors will meet at the town hall to decide on the budget for the 12 months from April.

They can put council tax up by a maximum of 2 per cent – adding to your household bills – or freeze it.

If they choose the second option, the government will give them the same amount of cash they would have got from a 1 per cent council tax increase.

Last year, Bolton was the only one of the county’s ten councils to put council tax up, so it would not be a surprise if councillors do the same again.

2. For fans of Peter Kay and TV comedy, January and February will be a very enjoyable time of year when the hit series Phoenix Nights returns – as a live show.

Such was the demand for tickets for the first two shows at the Manchester Arena, organisers had to put on an extra 13 nights and proceeds will go to Comic Relief.

Will Kay, Dave Spikey and the gang still have the magic touch or will the task of entertaining 19,000 fans a night for half a month be too much to ask?

3. It's fair to say the season didn’t get off to the best of starts for Bolton Wanderers’ boss Dougie Freedman, but his successor Neil Lennon has bucked things up since his arrival and there is even talk of the Whites challenging for the play offs.

Some might argue that an (albeit unlikely) promotion to the Premier League would not be good for Bolton anyway, as they would probably come straight back down given their lack of financial strength, but the impossible is always possible in football.

Wanderers fans have a January transfer window to look forward to (don't forget to follow our live blog) and there is already exciting new talent (young and old in the team).

It's a good time to be a Wanderers fan.

Can Lennon lift the club’s fortunes in the new year?

4. Mark it in your diaries – May 7 is a big day in politics as there is a general election.

At a local level, it will be interesting to see if Labour can stay in full control of the town hall in Bolton and whether UKIP can add to their tally of two seats.

And nationally, the picture is even more intriguing, and the race for 10 Downing Street is wide open.

Will it be Labour, the Tories or a coalition involving the Lib Dems, UKIP or even the Green Party? What we do know for certain is campaigning will be fierce and every vote counts.

5. In early 2014, none other than prime minister David Cameron pledged to ensure there were more carriages on trains through Bolton to ease congestion.

Passengers who pay thousands of pounds a year for season tickets are often crammed into uncomfortable "cattle trucks".

Some of them can't even make it on to the trains.

So will this change in 2015 and get passengers moving again?

And will the long-anticipated cycle stores open at Bolton station before the second anniversary of their construction in October?

• Are you looking forward to 2015? Tell us below or on our Facebook page.