Farnworth town centre branded a "dump" stuck in the 1970s

Councillors were questioned about the multi-million pound plans by developer St Modwen for a shopping parade at the Market Precinct between Brackley Street and King Street during a meeting of Harper Green Area Forum.

The plans also include a new bus station which was expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Resident Wayne Marsh said: "I want answers, the thing is Farnworth has gone from being plum to posh to a dump in the town centre.

"While Bolton town centre has been revamped three times in my lifetime. Farnworth is its own town and we are being starved, I want to know what the budget is for Farnworth."

Cllr Sue Haworth explained that she could not give figures but was committed to help improve the town centre.

She said: "I do get comments that say that the residents feel that the council does not value Farnworth. They feel that because they are in the outer area of Bolton, they feel a bit distant from the centre and make it quite clear they want their councillors to fight for Farnworth.

"There's a development process and that is pending. There's no question that I will respond for Farnworth. I hear these concerns and I do take it very seriously."

Neighbourhood Manager John Pye told the meeting at the Ellesmere Club in Green Morris: "St Modwen is still committed to redeveloping the centre. It has had to re-look at some of the detailed plans because when they did the ground investigation they found there was some mine workings underneath."

He added that once the developers and Transport for Greater Manchester had finalised their plans the council would then be able to release money through the public realm strategy for other improvements in the town such as benches, flowers and bins.

But Mr Marsh added: "We have lost our guidance, it would probably be cheaper to bulldoze it all and start again.

"We haven't got anything here, if you went back in history we had shops and now we don't have anything."