“WE can’t ask other people to be innovative, if we are not innovative ourselves,” says Bolton Council leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, who says the local authority is thinking “outside the box” to raise money to provide services and attract people to the town.

Filming is just one way the local authority is bringing in money to boost coffers to invest in the borough.

Exactly a week ago, Bolton Council announced the biggest investment in roads “for a generation” ploughing £10 million into the network to improve it, with works not just covering the repair of potholes, but also resurfacing and other improvements.

That will be paid for through a £7m low interest loan which will be funded through “ever-growing” dividends from shares in Manchester Airport, and with £3m income received from capital receipts from the sale of council buildings.

Cllr Greenhalgh said: “We set officers the challenge to think outside the box and be innovative to create income streams.

“We can’t ask others to be innovative if we are not ourselves innovative.”

He added: “Improving the roads is an investment in the local economy, we are looking not just to repair potholes but resurface the roads.”

The councillor said Bolton has some “great assets” which could be further capitalised when it comes to filming.

“We have a lot of areas in Bolton with the potential of being used for filming, the countryside for example.”

He said not only did filming bring in money but it showcased the town’s stunning architecture to a global audience.

Cllr Greenhalgh said events such as the forthcoming Tour of Britain will bring people to the town and provide a great showcase for it.

The town’s growing arts and culture scene is described as an attraction, not just for local people, but for those from outside the borough, which Cllr Greenhalgh said helps drive forward the local economy.

“We want to make Bolton a destination town,” said Cllr Greenhalgh.

The council is also looking more at the use of digital technology to save money.

Capital receipts brought in millions for Bolton Council.

The authority generated more than £11m by selling land and property over the last six years.

A total of 192 assets were sold by the council since April 2013 adding millions of pounds to its capital budget.

The University of Bolton made the single largest purchase of the council’s assets when it bought a former housing site for £2.5m in December 2015.

The site east of College Way is now the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering.

Other major sales were made to PSP Bolton LLP, a private sector partnership which manages former council assets.

The council still gets an income from its share in the company which generates money through sales and rental income.

Research by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that councils raised a total of £9.1bn since 2013 by selling buildings and other assets.