Farnworth one of 3 constituencies gets levelling up cash

The town is one of 50 “overlooked” towns across the UK to get the cash injection, and in Farnworth's case it is extra funding on the millions already given to transform its centre.

Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi said: “I am always pleased to see more investment in Farnworth.

“This has to be seen in context though and I am concerned about the running of these schemes.

Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi (Image: Office of Yasmin Qureshi MP)

“Handing out cash without consultation and with no notice given to local stakeholders, is not a way to drive the levelling up agenda.”

The money will be spent of priorities like reviving high streets and tackling antisocial behaviour.

But Ms Qureshi says this does not make up for cuts made in other areas.

She said: “The desire of this government to control everything from Whitehall is not a productive way to run a country.

“They continue to give with one hand and take away with another.

“We have seen millions cut from local authority budgets, failure to fund other local projects and the prospect of cutting key infrastructure like HS2.

“These all damage our chances of truly levelling up Bolton, Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever.”

Bolton West, represented by Conservative MP Chris Green, was one of two constituencies in the area which did not get funding.

Bolton West MP Chris Green (Image: Office of Chris Green MP)

He said efforts have already been made by Bolton Council to help revive towns in the area.

He said: “We haven’t won in terms of central government but we have allocated money for investment in the high street in Westhoughton and in Horwich.

“The town council have worked together with the borough council but there have been various disruptions, including during pandemic.”

He added: “So really we’re waiting in anticipation for how that is going to be spent.”

The Bolton West area has previously been in line for Levelling Up bid to make multimillion pound improvements to the traffic systems on De Havilland Way.

A recent bid had been made for a new traffic system along De Havilland Way (Image: Newsquest)

But this was turned down by the government after proving controversial with many residetns in the area.

Mr Green said: “More than anything else, the De Havilland Way project was ill judged because there are far more pressing problems than replacing roundabouts with traffic lights.”

But Mr Green’s Bolton West Labour opponent Phil Brickell said that he feels the latest funding announcement is a missed opportunity for the rest of the borough.

He also claimed the areas chosen for funding were disproportionately represented by Conservatives, with Accrington, Burnley, Darwen and Nelson all amongst North Western towns chosen for £20million funding packages and all represented by Tories.

ALSO READ: The borough's 'overlooked town' to receive a multi-million pound cash injection

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Mr Brickell said: "It is disheartening to see that the money appears to have been distributed to bribe voters in areas before a general election.

“Astonishingly, 62 per cent of the funding is being spent on areas with Conservative MPs.

“Despite this, both of Bolton's Conservative MPs have failed to secure a single penny for our communities despite our pressing local needs."

Bolton North East Candidate Kirith Entwistle has also pointed to examples of how Levelling Up funding could have benefited her area, including an extension to the Metrolink line which sitting MP Mark Logan has long called for.

She said: "This revelation demonstrates yet more broken promises on levelling up for Bolton.

"We were promised a new beginning for our town and a new metro line, but it seems the Tories have given up on Bolton."