A COUNCILLOR has hailed the impact of funding has on the most deprived areas in the borough.

Breightmet councillor Debbie Newall says the Neighbourhood Management Budget has enabled “inclusive and proactive initiatives” which “greatly benefit” her community.

Over the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years, each ward in the borough received a “flat rate” of £9,375 from the Area Forum Flat Rate Budget allocated by Bolton Council.

Cllr Newall says this has also been of “vital importance” to many groups across the borough, with beneficiaries in Breightmet including the Waggon Road Centre and Men in Sheds.

But less affluent wards also receive varying top-ups via the Neighbourhood Management Budget to combat deprivation. And Cllr Newall says it’s money from this the pot which would be “under threat” under the Tories.

She said: “They wish to distribute this funding equally amongst all wards, which means the wealthier wards would receive the same as those whose residents face more deprivation, in effect taking money from the poorest of our residents to subsidise wealthier areas. “

But the Conservatives’ Breightmet representative, Cllr Adele Warren, says her party wants to be fair to all council tax payers.

She said: “Everyone wants to see fairness for the taxes they are paying into the system. From the Conservatives point those paying higher council tax want to see that — and I want to see that in Breightmet too. Residents in Somerton don’t see very much for the council tax they pay even though there’s a deprivation budget.”