ROBERT Jenrick has said that the Tories are prioritising regeneration of Bolton's high-streets and ensuring more homes are built while protecting green belt land while on a visit to an allotment in Breightmet.

Meanwhile Bolton Labour leader Nick Peel expressed concerns that the Conservative-run council have delayed regeneration plans.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government met with Cllr Adele Warren, Council Leader David Greenhalgh and conservative candidate for Breightmet Stuart Hartigan at Garstang Allotments.

His visit comes ahead of the polls opening on May 6, with more than a third of Bolton seats up for election.

Currently, the Conservative party have control over Bolton Council - despite having one less seat than the Labour party (17 to 18).

This is because an agreement was made between all the other parties in Bolton except Labour. The Lib Dems later withdrew their support from this arrangement in February though.

A slight swing could mean that Bolton Council could change hands, with it being unlikely one party will win an outright majority.

Mr Jenrick discussed the local community benefitting from green spaces with Cllr Warren, executive cabinet member for Environmental Services Delivery.

When asked about building more affordable housing in the borough, Mr Jenrick said: "We do need to build more homes to help people with lower incomes and help people onto the housing ladder.

“That’s a morale mission for the government, but we’re also going to protect the green belt and green spaces.

“I think there are a lot of opportunities particularly after the pandemic to do that, there will be a lot of opportunities on brownfield sites.

“Regenerating high-streets, getting more homes into town and city centres, converting offices to homes in some cases, here in Bolton and city centres like Manchester.

“All these things we want to take forward now so we can build more homes and build them in the right places.

“We are providing funding to Bolton to do that, they are the beneficiary of our towns fund, for example, which is about town and city centre regeneration efforts.

“David Greenhalgh and I have worked very closely together over the course of the last year, I would like to see that continue after the election.

“I do think there’s real value in having a conservative-led council, conservative MPs and a conservative Government working together as a team to secure the investment Bolton needs.

“I think we’ve done that successfully, since 2019 I would like to see that continue.”

Mr Jenrick added that he thinks communities being able to access green spaces is important, particularly in light of the pandemic and praised the work done by Bolton NEWT at Garstang Allotments.

Bolton is currently the only Conservative-run council in Greater Manchester but results of the upcoming local election could change this.

Responding to whether he thinks the Tory seats can be kept by Tory councillors, Mr Jenrick said: “Well that’s up to local people, but all I can say is that I’ve really enjoyed working with David Greenhalgh as leader of the council.

“I think the council has a very clear plan as to how they can regenerate and get jobs into the city, work with its businesses, with the university and build back better, after the pandemic.

“Having that team of MPs, council and government working productively together is the best way to secure that.

“So they’ve got very exciting plans for the future, I want to work with them and I know the Prime Minister and the Chancellor do as well, I very much hope we can keep a good Conservative council."

Leader of Bolton Labour Group Nick Peel said that a Labour Council would update the regeneration plans for the borough to take in the impact of the pandemic.

Cllr Nick Peel said: “I’d like to thank Robert Jenrick for his tribute to the last Labour administration in Bolton, because the plans on regenerating our town centres, that he rightly praised, were put firmly in place by Labour.

"However, we are very concerned that under the Tory Council, these plans, that should already be leading to new town centre housing and jobs, have stalled, and that this Tory Council is not responding in a way that gives any confidence that we will see progress soon.

"A future Labour Council will re-look at the masterplans and bring them up to date so that they are fit for post Covid world, relevant to changing shopping and office working environments."

Ninety-nine candidates will stand in battles across 20 areas in the borough on Thursday, with the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats putting up one prospective councillor for each seat.