Walked through town yesterday and absolutely shocked by the state of it! Never again will I go in to that place again.

Theoneandonlyme

At long last Cllr Peel has admitted the town centre has a problem. The bigger problem is he has no idea how to improve it. So he took the book of ideas from the shelf and (just like the interchange - without a car park, Bolton Market refurb - then close off its footfall, Church Wharf - we need a smaller town centre not a bigger one) dusted it off. He went for a walk around town. He failed to see the boarded up shops! He failed to see the local Labour council’s complicity in the town centre downfall. Still get people off their bikes and sitting on the pavements that’ll do it.

WilliamHesketh

Beggars will always be in Bolton if blinkered shoppers keep giving them money.....that money will be spent on drink /drugs and alcohol.......this is not helping the beggars or Bolton town centre

danwigan

It’s a lesser evil to them breaking into cars/houses

Lets be honest...

Lets be honest......totally disagree with you.......they would be better off in jail to hopefully get themselves back on their feet......how would you feel if you give a beggar 10 and he/she used that on heroin and they died shooting up in a alley way? Was that helping them?

danwigan

Yeh, stops them begging which is what the enforcement is about!

Stan Dof

From an anti-social perspective. As long as those people who think they’re better than everyone else keep giving them money I don’t mind. I certainly don’t want a return to bag snatching/burglaries etc

I know what you’re saying about the long term, jail really doesn’t help. Most of them will have been in jail numerous times already. Jails are full of drugs with little to no rehabilitation. I personally know some of the beggars. They run a circuit, they even pay for protection to protect their pitch. One group sleep in Church Wharf the other the NCP off Topp Way. The police certainly need to be more proactive stopping the dealers.

Lets be honest...

I must admit I’ve never come across ‘aggressive begging’ but it’s not an appealing site and many probably aren’t homeless so give a bad name to the true rough sleepers. Another thing they should be looking at to make Bolton town centre more appealing is the rent being charged for retail units. There’s so many empty shops at the minute which aren’t in the least bit attractive

annapoppysox

Retail units privately owned, nothing to do with council.

bwfc0210

Went in last weekend, first time in along time, in honesty won’t be rushing back. It’s a bit of a dump these days, a real shame as fantastic town centre in 80s and 90s. Combination of Middlebrook, online shopping, greedy landlords and Bolton Council have killed it. Doubt if it will ever recover

Daisy hill billy

Online shopping is far better. Lots of discount codes for many shops and free delivery, without paying parking or travel. This clean up is long overdue.

There is a perception (rightly or wrongly) that Bolton isn’t safe, especially after dark. In comparison, Middlebrook is clean and family friendly. Cleanliness and attractiveness is the first step to getting people to come back.

Westhoughtonlad

Like most places after dark it’s probably safer. There is nobody about. Any self-respecting mugger or rapist will be somewhere the potential victims are.

Piesqueek

Beggars are now at many locations out of town. Big disabled-persons’ buggies are another hazard, some travel at well over 10mph which is dangerous. Are bikes and buggies insured for road and pavement use.

Bolton is a disgusting place to visit, it’s dirty, tatty, infested with vitamin, and there is plenty of crime. No one does anything but councillors keep bleating about how good the town is.

breightmet kid

Town centre not the only place that people are hounded by people on bikes riding on the pavement. Walking down Manchester road yesterday carrying 2 bags of shopping, pavement narrowed by road works sign and car parked on pavement, man comes down on bike and almost rode straight through me, no attempt to stop or slow down to let me pass. If bikes are to continue to be ridden on pavements then provision should be made for them and lanes marked to warn pedestrians, if this is not done it should be policed and adults who ride on pavements fined.

Delyth

I go into Bolton town centre seven days a week, so I feel like some one who can have their say on the state of it. More than once I have put it to press regarding the state it is in. It is more than off putting seeing people asleep in door ways, dirty scruffy people hanging about, smoking and whatever. Personally I think Bolton Council should just rid the town of them and stop pussyfoot. It’s the same as usual what they’re going to do and they do nothing. If they don’t smarten up, it’s going to be too late. Bolton town centre has already a laughing stock and I for one certainly don’t blame them.

Faig