VOTERS will go to the polls in the first council elections in two years on Thursday.

Labour is hoping to keep control of the council with its "people's priorities" policies, such as free school breakfasts and "prioritising local jobs".

But opposing parties believe they could end Labour's grasp on the town hall if their candidates win key "battleground wards".

The party has 35 of the council's 60 seats, and is defending 11 of them, so would only need to be defeated in six to lose overall control.

It is thought the decision by mainly Labour councillors to approve the controversial Ryder Cup course application could leave the party vulnerable in the Westhoughton South, Hulton and Westhoughton North wards.

Westhoughton town councillor, Lib Dem David Wilkinson could benefit. He is standing for election on the borough council in Westhoughton South.

Opposition leaders, including Conservative David Greenhalgh, think fears over the protection of greenbelt land could cost Labour in more rural wards across the borough, from Bromley Cross to Horwich and Blackrod.

Labour also have a fight on their hands in the south of the borough, where Farnworth and Kearsley First are fielding an all-woman candidate list in the Farnworth, Kearsley and Harper Green.

The fledgling party won its first seat in March when Paul Sanders triumphed in the Farnworth by-election following Asif Ibrahim's resignation. Martin McMulkin is standing for Labour following Noel Spencer's retirement. But Maureen Flitcroft will be hoping to emulate Cllr Sanders' "political earthquake" for Farnworth and Kearsley First.

But Labour are pushing hard in Little Lever and Darcy Lever. UKIP's Cllr Paul Richardson is standing for re-election for the first time and Labour's David Evans is expected to run him close.

Other areas to watch include Breightmet, where Conservatives have high hopes for Adele Warren, while Francesca Platt is defending the ward for Labour.

Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, where Christine Wild, made a gain for the Conservatives in 2016 is also be tightly fought.

This time around the Tories' Martyn Cox faces a strong challenge from Labour's Ged Carter.

Well-known Lib Dem campaigner Warren Fox is also standing in Astley Bridge again after finishing third behind Conservative's Hilary Fairclough and Labour's Kevin Morris two years ago.

As well as protecting green belt land, issues at the fore of this election battle include potholes, fly-tipping, council tax levels, and waste disposal.

The charge of neglecting surrounding towns such as Farnworth, Kearsley and Westhoughton is levelled at Labour by the opposition parties.

But they will be hoping its 10 key policies will resonate with voters.

List of all the candidates for the Bolton Council elections

Cllr Linda Thomas, Leader of Bolton Council, said: "The People’s Priorities are practical, common sense policies that can curb community concerns, which we have listened to.

“Our vision for our borough is ambitious for shared economic prosperity through all our regeneration, attracting new business and investment. It is core to our vision that the prosperity we create permeates out into all areas of our communities and our townships. This is why we will lead the way in prioritising local opportunities and employment, and ensure more council contracts go to local companies to keep money and jobs in our local economy."

Labour is pledging more money for free breakfasts and subsidised school meals as well as committing free swimming for children and older residents.

Better quality housing is also promised, alongside as well as an investment in disability aids and grants to enable independent living.

And Cllr Thomas says that Labour wants to "protect and improve our environment so that people enjoy it, care for it and are active in it".

She added: "We will commit to increasing our teams responding to and delivering road repairs. We will also continue to be forward-thinking as an authority as we work to lessen the impact on our environment and our residents' pockets with free car parking for electric cars across the borough.”

Church Wharf became the first plank of the council's multi-million pound regeneration of the town centre to the go-ahead as Muse was named as the lead developer.

Cllr Thomas, pledging to ‘go further’ with investment in brownfield sites in the borough, said: “We want to go further. We have committed £100m to pump prime developments across five key town centre sites, which is allowing us to revitalise existing assets and bring vibrancy back by getting residential developments into the town centre’s brownfield sites.”

The Conservatives are hoping their flagship policy of reintroducing weekly grey bin collections will prove a vote-winner. While Labour says the policy has been a success and led to greater recycling rates, it remains controversial with some claiming it encourages fly-tipping.

Conservative leader Cllr David Greenhalgh said: "The disproportionate funding Labour have done throughout their whole time in office. Across the borough a disproportionate amount of money has been spent in certain areas to the detriment of their towns.

"A Conservative-led council would prioritise what those frontline services that residents have the right to expect in the return for the council tax they pay. We will prioritise roads and pavements , we will clean-up the town with stronger enforcement on litter and fly-tipping.

"Conservatives still believe that one of the frontline services that residents should get in return for their council tax is the weekly collection of a grey bin. Conservatives will protect the greenbelt and adopt a brownfield-site first policy.

"And at the earliest opportunity we would withdraw from the gateway project which sees more asylum-seekers and refugees coming to Bolton, disproportionately, than any of our neighbouring authorities."

UKIP will be hoping Cllr Paul Richardson can hold his Little Lever and Darcy Lever seat and also has has William Pilkington in the running for Kearsley.

Group leader Cllr Sean Hornby said it was time to "hold Labour to account" for the bad decisions the council has made.

He said: "UKIP believe that there should be more transparency within the town hall. We should have a seat at the Executive member briefings when Executive members are making decisions which effect this town.

"And UKIP believe that the reserves that this council has are too high and should be reduced. Our roads are in a bad state of repair, we need to look at different ways of mending our potholes, it is no good spending five minutes in the pouring rain putting tarmac in a hole, tapping it down, then two weeks later the hole appears again, that’s false economy and it’s a waste of council tax-payer’s money.

"We will be fighting for a redistribution of the council tax more fairly across the borough in all wards, not just the chosen few, and we will be asking for a rethink into the policies in tackling deprivation. We feel that when you are spending vast sums of money year on year in certain parts of the borough and are still having to do it year after year then the policy isn’t working."

But he added that UKIP had been "fully supportive" of proposals for a new health centre centre and library in Little Lever and had held already had some talks with senior police officers with a view to having a police post put in the current library when it moves to the new site. UKIP will also be fighting for voter ID to be introduced as standard across the borough.

UKIP's accusation that Labour has "let down" Kearsley echoes criticisms put forward by Farnworth and Kearsley First, whose all-woman slate is targeting the Farnworth, Kearsley and Harper Green wards.

Peter Flitcroft, Farnworth and Kearsley First party leader said: "Farnworth and Kearsley First firmly believes that both of our towns have been short-changed by Bolton Council.

"I believe that the people of our towns have had enough of this unfairness and want to see change that results in spending coming away from Bolton town centre and spread out fairly across the other towns of the borough. We do not believe that it is fair to put every household in the borough in debt by over £800 to fund a £100m loan to be spent on Bolton town centre.

“I believe that people have had enough of the usual, "Success will emanate from the centre” and that the misery being suffered on the outlying towns in the borough must end. I believe that the people of Farnworth and Kearsley are desperate for change and that they are sick and fed up of the false promises that they are fed year after year by the ruling Labour Party.

"The people of Farnworth and Kearsley will not stand being treated as second class citizens anymore and will make their feelings known at the ballot box next Thursday”

Liberal Democrats' sole representative on the council is current Mayor Roger Hayes, who does not make political statements due his role.

But Kev Walsh, secretary of Bolton Liberal Democrats also hit out at Labour and took a swipe at the Conservatives, too.

He said: "Just like residents across Bolton, we in the Liberal Democrats are tired of the political games being played by Labour and the Tories to the detriment of residents. For too long decisions have been made behind closed doors and council meetings have been used to score points rather than get things done.

This election we are fighting to deliver a genuine change to the fortunes of the borough. From fighting to ensure funding is more fairly distributed across the borough, to ensuring we keep our greenbelt green — fighting greedy developers and fracking companies alike."

He continued: "We also want to change the way business is conducted — creating a more open, honest and accountable council. Opening up all meetings to the public to ensure full scrutiny and making provisions for residents to ask their own questions at council meetings form a fundamental part of our ambitions.

"We also seek to reduce the number of councillors and special responsibility allowances to reduce the cost of doing business in the council. Ensuring much-needed funds can be used in delivering services rather than lining councillors' pockets.

"Localism is at the heart of everything we do. Which is why all our candidates across the town also have their own, local priorities they are pursuing. From seeking further investment in local infrastructure and protecting our greenbelt in Westhoughton and Horwich, to fighting to reduce congestion and increase road safety investment in areas such as Astley Bridge and Smithills. For the Liberal Democrats local means local and we hope that residents support our vision on May 3 to deliver a genuine change."

Alan Johnson, who is among 13 Green Party candidates running for election, said his party was offering "a genuine alternative".

He said: "Other parties' councillors who get elected in these parts they operate a whip system and follow a party line that doesn't strictly allow them to truly represent their electors.

"We don't operate a whip system, so our councillors could vote the way they feel and with their consciences and therefore truly represent the electors who put them there.

"Residents should have more of a say on things that affect their communities."

He continued: "We will be totally opposed to any building on the green belt, the preferred choice of brownfield sites first would be a process  we would agree with."

Mr Johnson added that the party would also oppose fracking "anywhere in Bolton" and was also very concerned about air quality and its impact on the health of the borough's residents.