TOWNSHIPS across the borough will benefit from an additional £4m for their town centres.

This will add to the £12m cash boost to transform four district town centres, announced last month.

The £16m total will be used in Farnworth, Horwich, Little Lever and Westhoughton, but the extra money will be used principally in Farnworth town centre.

This latest announcement was made at a cabinet meeting on Monday as the council's plans for capital spending in 2019/20 were revealed.

It will be funded from the council's share in private investment firm Public Sector PLC (PSP) Bolton.

The company works to maximise the council’s return on its land and property assets by making savings and generating new income.

A total of £4m will be taken from the available surplus in PSP to add to the pot for district town centres.

Conservative leader David Greenhalgh said he had a "wry smile" on his face when he saw that the extra funding would come from the PSP partnership.

He said he was previously told that the council could not spend any money from this source.

Cllr Greenhalgh said: "We would spend this differently. We totally agree with you that it's part of the township's assets, but it's also resident's assets. This money belongs to the people of Bolton."

The Tories will suggest using this money to plug part of the £23.5m shortfall in the council's finances instead of raising council tax.

Deputy leader Ebrahim Adia said the move comes after councillors said the £12m pot was not enough.

In addition to the funding for townships, the council announced an additional £2m of unallocated resources in its capital programme to be used for residential roads and pavements.

The proposals are set to be approved at a full council meeting next Wednesday.