A major plan setting out Bolton’s priorities over the next two years has failed to mention the cost-of-living crisis.

This comes after a refreshed corporate plan was put before Bolton Council last week setting out how the borough's key aims and strategies for 2022-24.

But with communities across the borough areas facing rising costs and poverty levels, critics have argued the plan should address this specifically.

Cllr Sue Haworth, who represents Harper Green, said: “I know it’s just a headline priorities document but nevertheless, there’s no phrase ‘cost-of-living crisis.’

“This is a two-year document but there’s no phrase ‘anti-poverty’ or anti-poverty strategy.”

She added: “There’s nothing on council tax reduction schemes, there’s nothing on local provision, there’s nothing on charges policy generally overall for the council.”

The corporate plan, which was presented last week, was designed to set out how Bolton Council delivers its priorities.

Cllr Haworth explained afterwards that she believes Bolton has "particular challenge" where poverty is concerned while just this week, figures released by the End Child Poverty Coalition revealed that more than a third of children in the borough are living in poverty.

Cllr Harworth said: “We are a particularly unequal borough, not just in terms of health outcome, which we know is 12 years and climbing and yes you can put some of that down to Covid, some of that climbing.

“But we’ve got problems in this borough that stand out when you compare us to a number of other areas around income inequalities, security of work inequality, access to greenspace and sport inequality, litter, fly tipping and housing standards inequality.”

But in response leader Cllr Martyn Cox said that economic growth and education remained the best ways of tackling inequality in Bolton and elsewhere.

He said: “I’m not really sure who you tackle poverty straight on without economic growth and inequality is a difficult one.

He added: “I think everything we’ve set out to do is to try and get economic growth for the town and one of the most important ways of getting growth is through education, is through skills and there are some remarkable results coming out of Bolton in certain areas.”