Last year Bolton celebrated the 125th anniversary of Britain’s biggest rights of way dispute, the Winter Hill mass trespass, an important chapter of our town’s local history.

The anniversary helped to shed an important light on issues that continue to be relevant today.

Our ability to access to green spaces and nature is just as important as ever, that’s why I am urging candidates from all political parties to support the Ramblers’ manifesto for the May local elections.

The Ramblers are calling on all candidates to pledge to make it easier for everyone to enjoy a walk in nature.

During the pandemic, more people than ever took up walking and sought out local green routes and spaces to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing. The value of these places and of walking was clearly demonstrated to everyone.

Despite their huge popularity and valuable role as community infrastructure, our local path networks and green spaces are too often neglected and in a poor state. The next council must set out plans to improve our path networks, including the creation of new green routes near where people live so no one has to travel far or make a big effort to enjoy nature.

The council should also support walking programmes – such as Ramblers’ Wellbeing Walks – to provide extra support for people that need extra help to start walking and to keep walking.

At a time of squeezed budgets, a small investment in the paths, spaces and programmes that enable walking can go a long way in addressing many of the most pressing issues facing councils today, including public health, mental wellbeing, loneliness, community cohesion, the cost of living crisis, air quality and climate change.

Sorie Sesay