BOLTON housing chiefs today received more than £9 million ... for being one of the best departments in the region. The Government has allocated the money to spend next year on improving and building new homes.

Bolton has also been judged an authority which is "well above average" for service delivery.

Manchester is the only other North-west authority in the same category.

This the first time the Government has produced "league tables" of local authorities' performances.

Around £6 million has come form the Government's housing investment programme, the rest is from the amount councils are allowed to spend from the sale of council houses.

Housing Minister Hilary Armstrong said in announcing the allocations : "We are committed to providing good quality homes for everyone and today, I am pleased to announce a package of funding that will help local authorities provide new homes with registered social landlords, improve the housing stock and help re-invigorate communities."

No-one from Bolton's housing department was available for comment at the time of going to press. The cash allocated to local authorities is half on housing need and half on the way that councils have performed.

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