LABOUR stalwart David Crausby has thrown his weight behind alternative plans for the town centre — putting him in direct opposition to his local party's vision for Bolton.

Mr Crausby, who is standing for re-election in Bolton North East, praised the Bolton and District Civic Trust plans as "first class".

This week The Bolton News published drawings of plans put forward by the trust which offered a different approach to the council’s proposals for refurbishing the town hall, redeveloping Newport Street and building a student village on Cheadle Square.

Mr Crausby has backed the alternative plans and said he believes a new approach is needed when it comes to the town centre, which he believes is “not fit for purpose.”

It is not the first time Mr Crausby has criticised the state of the town centre.

In 2012 he was lambasted by councillors from across the political spectrum after he published a pamphlet with a picture of empty shops in Bolton town centre headlined “closed for business” — and labelled the town centre as “a disgrace”.

He said: “I was heavily criticised for speaking out on this issue in 2012 but I do think a lot of mistakes have been made by a lot of people regarding the town centre and now the chickens are coming home to roost.

“The proposals by the civic trust are first class. I agree with them that we shouldn’t build on Cheadle Square because we have the potential to create a really good area with more green space.

“We also have one of the finest town halls in the country and I don’t think we should be cutting its facade — if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

He added: “I think there has been a lack of foresight by different council over the years — I think building shops on the other side of the dual carriageway has made the town centre too big.”

Mr Crausby added: "We need to come together and be constructive looking forward not backwards — producing solutions not blame.

“We have some magnificent buildings to protect and if we get things right we can restore the town centre to something we can all be proud of.”

Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: “I think it is important that we take on board what people are saying about the town centre.

“We always have to remember that a lot of people live in Bolton and are interested in what happens.

“I am happy to work with other parties going forward.”