Less than one percent of Bolton is made up of parks and play areas – the smallest of any borough in Greater Manchester.
This is also the joint-eighth lowest area per capita out of 318 local authority districts across England and Wales.
But with a total of 154 parks and play areas and nearby access to the West Pennine Moors – a Site of Special Scientific Interest with great biodiversity – is it harsh to say Bolton is not green?
According to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Bolton has the lowest area of public parks and gardens, play areas, recreational grounds and playing fields in Greater Manchester.
In comparison Manchester, Trafford and Stockport each boast over twice Bolton’s area of these outdoor spaces despite being smaller boroughs.
The ONS also calculated that Bolton has just 0.45km2 of parks and play areas for every 100,000 people – which is under half the national average of 0.96km2.
No other Local Authority District outside of London has a lower figure than this.
In contrast Trafford boasts the most in Greater Manchester with 1.22km2.
This suggests that Bolton provides the lowest access to park space for its population.
And on paper it could also mean that Bolton has the most crowded parks.
But size might not be everything as Bolton also has the fourth highest total of parks and play areas in Greater Manchester with 154.
The quality of Bolton’s outdoor recreational areas is also an important factor to recognise.
Dr Jane Wilcock – a former GP who in 2024 received a British Empire Medal for a significant contribution to the community – is chair of Friends of Harwood and Longsight Park, a volunteer group established in 2014 to improve the quality of Bolton’s green spaces.
She estimated the group had restored around 80% of paths in Harwood and Longsight Parks, many of which had disappeared in place of mud.
She said: “There is a lot of green space and quite a lot of small parks around Bolton, but they need to be accessible.
“Given we have elderly people and people with disabilities, access to parks is about accommodating ability problems and ensuring people on their own are able to enjoy our parks.”
She added: “If you are young and working and have lots of money, you can get abroad and go on holiday.
“But if you have to consider mobility issues, mental health issues or children under-five then you need something locally.”
Last summer alone the group spent £9000 restoring the Millennium Wood between Longsight Park and Harwood Vale where they repaired fencing, thinned out trees, and planted native wildflowers in the wood.
She believed the biggest challenge they faced is under-funding.
For instance Bolton Council only had a £17,000 budget to maintain footpaths in 2024, which she guessed could only fund a stretch of 800m of paths from scratch.
She said: “Budget cuts mean there is not enough money to repair equipment or footpaths and replace benches.
“All councils have suffered from a lack of funding, but Bolton is blessed with a lot of voluntary groups under the Bolton green umbrella.
“We are lucky with the number of dedicated volunteers who feel there is a need to help.”
She is hopeful that a £200,000 one-off sum voted in by Bolton Council earlier this year will help counter the issue of under-funding.
Bolton also has the least outdoor recreational space as a percentage of its overall area, according to the ONS.
But this data only considered maintained public parks and play areas – which are just a proportion of the green spaces people can enjoy.
For example, Rutland in the East Midlands recorded only 0.44km2 of parks and play areas according to the data set – less than half the national average.
But this seemed to have ignored over 4200 acres – approximately 17km2 – of open countryside and beautiful nature reserve at Rutland Water alone.
Bolton Council leader Nicholas Peel said: “One of the many things that Bolton is very famous for is its outstanding natural beauty and open areas, whether that be in maintained parks or in more open countryside.
“It’s one of the things that makes living in Bolton so great”
A spokesperson for Bolton council also said: “We’re very surprised at the claim that Bolton lacks parks and play areas.
“In fact, when it comes to green space we’re unusually blessed, with over 50% of the borough being open spaces including a significant area of the West Pennine moors.
“On top of which, the council has agreed about £1.3m of additional funding into parks, green spaces and play areas over the next several years.
“And of course we’re delighted to be home to Elizabeth Park, Greater Manchester’s newest park.
“Our residents enjoy access to 187 parks, play areas, sports grounds, nature reserves, playing fields and playgrounds.
“Among them are several with Green Flag status, including Longsight Park in Harwood which benefits from the work of a fabulous group of volunteers.
“We’re currently planning for major investment in our parks and play areas and we are committed to making all our green spaces safe, protected and accessible to all.”
Many residents in Bolton similarly felt other factors beyond the data were important.
Huzaifah and Ammarah from Bolton worried Bolton’s parks house drug-related crime and when they want to enjoy the outdoors they typically travel to the Lake District.
John and Iri both live in Bolton and often spend time in Queen’s Park.
Iri took issue with the amount of litter in the River Croal that runs through the park while John felt that a greater choice of parks would be a nice improvement.
Another man – who is originally from Salford but now lives in Bolton – simply said: “All parks in Greater Manchester are well maintained and nice.”
ONS figures suggested that Bolton provides a low level of access to outdoor recreational areas – but this is only part of the story.
From person to person other factors matter more whether it be accessibility for all, safety or cleanliness in the borough’s green spaces.
Feature image of Queen’s Park, Bolton, provided by Ben Winship
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