A COMMITTEE chief has again called on Bolton Council to use its “USP” – Unique Selling Pont – to identify ways of improving and extending its services.

Cllr Bob Allen told a meeting of the authority’s corporate resources and external issues scrutiny committee that potential opportunities were still going untapped.

Earlier this year the Conservative suggested binmen could help tackle the borough’s pothole problem.

And, following a presentation on how the council uses its staff by assistant director of place John Morrissy, Cllr Allen returned to the theme.

He said: “The council is in an absolutely unique position in that we are the only people who go round every street every week.

“I know I’ve used that phrase before, but I will carry on using it for the future. It’s a part of the council’s success, it’s our USP in sales language, nobody else does this.

“And whilst it’s difficult to identify the opportunities that might present them there are undoubtedly lots of them.”

One area Cllr Allen believes could be tackled by council workers as they go about their duties, is overhanging branches blocking pavements and roads.

He said: “It’s probably an aspiration. As it stands now, I can give lots of examples, but I can’t see any evidence it’s happening.

“But it should happen, if it’s an aspiration, that’s great, but let’s get it working.”

And the Heaton and Lostock ward councillor also suggested there was potential opportunity for helping vulnerable customers, as the council strives to provide services against a background of continuing cuts.

He said: “We are in a unique position in that we know who they are. A lot of people have assisted bin collections, and we could look out for the welfare of them.”

The “never ending problem” of illegal banners tied to highways structures was another example mooted by Cllr Allen.

Mr Morrissy said that some of the suggestions – including the problem of overhanging branches – could be taken forward to policy development groups.

But he added that it was important to be “realistic” about the potential of bin workers to deal with issues concerning vulnerable people given the demands of their rounds.