Bolton
Introduction
Bolton is a large town in Lancashire, in North West England, 10 miles (16.1 km) north west of the city of Manchester. Historically it was a mill town centred on textile manufacture and cotton spinning, and was one of the largest and most productive centres of cotton manufacture in the world. The economy is now service-based and includes a large number of data processing and call centres and hi-tech electronics and IT companies. It is also is a popular shopping town.
The town has also retained a variety of more traditional industries, employing people in, aerospace, paper-manufacturing, packaging, textiles, transportation, steel foundries and building materials. The area of Horwich around Middlebrook has been designated by Bolton Council as the `Bolton Economic Development Zone', and is currently seeing a great deal of building work, predominantly office space for law firms and business headquarters.
Recent Visits
None of note
* See Audit Commission web site for more. Council Tax bands were averaged from Parish Precepts.
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Bolton City Council |
MPs |
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Address: Town Hall, Victoria Square, Bolton.
BL1 1RU
Telephone: 01204 333333
Email: bolton@bolton.gov.uk
Website: www.bolton.gov.uk
Chief Executive: Sean Harris
Leader of the Council: Cliff Morris (Labour)
The Regional Minister for the North West: The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP
Council – Political Control: No Overall Control |
David Crausby - Bolton North East (Labour)
Dr. Brian Iddon - Bolton South East (Labour)
The Right Honourable Ruth Kelly - Bolton West (Labour)
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Demographics for Bolton
Mid-2006 Population Estimates
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|
Population
All ages
2006
(Thousands) |
Percentage of
Children 0-15
2006 |
Percentage of
Working Age
16-64 Males / 60 Females
2006 |
Percentage of
Older People
65 Males / 60 Females and over
2006 |
Live births
(Thousands)
2006 |
Deaths
(Thousands)
2006 |
|
Bolton |
262.4 |
20.9 |
61.3 |
17.8 |
3.6 |
2.7 |
|
North West |
6,853.2 |
19.3 |
61.8 |
18.9 |
83.0 |
70.6 |
|
England |
50,762.9 |
19.1 |
62.3 |
18.6 |
623.3 |
474.5 |
Figures updated annually. Last update August 2007. Source: Office for National Statistics.
Children and Learners
• The number of 5, 6 and 7 year olds in classes over 30 has fallen from 4,835 in 1997 to zero by January 2007.
• Announced February 2007, funding of £58,000 is helping Bolton launch a new initiative to help and support the parents of potential trouble makers.
• Bolton is 1 of the first authorities to offer the new work-related diplomas as part of the Government’s plans to keep young people in education until they are 18.
• Developments in the Higher Level Skills Pathfinder has lead to the University of Bolton securing over £194,000 for Composite Design and Analysis Training and Education (June 2007).
• In June 2007 St Stephen’s and All Martyrs Primary School in Bolton won the Rolls Royce Science Prize. The £15,000 prize money is going to be used by the school to transform a piece of wasteland into a scientific discovery area.
Health and Well Being
Bolton Primary CareTrust is:
• An early achiever of the 18 weeks target.
• The first early implementer of the Summary Care Record.
• An Adolescent Health demonstration site.
• A pioneer in the development of Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services provided in the community by the NHS.
• Internationally recognised for the delivery of effective stop smoking services in a hospital setting.
Crime
• Bolton has been named as one of 40 priority Respect Action Areas in England, for being a Council who has a strong record in tackling anti-social behaviour.
• Bolton will receive around £1.3m in LAA area based grant for 2008/09 to tackle crime, reduce harm caused by illegal drugs, address anti-social behaviour and improve the poor conditions of streets and other public spaces.
• Bolton has been allocated £1.154m funding for its Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) in 2008/09
• Young People Substance Misuse Grant (YPSMG) allocation totals £681k for 2008/09.
Transport
• Over £6m has been allocated to Bolton in the Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlement for 2007-08. This includes £1.7m for integrated small schemes, and £4.4m for maintenance schemes.
• Bolton will benefit from £3.2m Transport Innovation Fund, to assess the feasibility of schemes combining demand management, such as road pricing, with better public transport, in order to tackle congestion and improve local travelling conditions.
• Bolton benefits from £3.5m Transport Infrastructure Fund awarded each year until 2010-11, to enhance public transport facilities in the western areas that will not benefit from Metrolink.
• The Disability Discrimination Act Initiative is a £750,000 three year programme of improving the footways in Bolton to support the Disability Discrimination Act.
• Over £1m has been provided by Department for Transport for Casualty Postcode Analysis. Research is being undertaken locally using postcode data for casualties and drivers, including an investigation of the characteristics of local postcode areas.
Social Inclusion and Regeneration
• Funding of £800m for Bolton at Home has been allocated to 2011, to spend on council housing, with improvements to homes and streets considered to be below 21st Century standards.
• Neighbourhood Renewal Funding of £23m for 2001-06 and over £11m for 2006-08 is improving services in the most deprived neighbourhoods and helping to meet Public Service Agreement targets in crime, health, education, employment and housing.
• Bolton is receiving nearly £5.7m in Working Neighbourhoods Funding in 2008/09. This replaces Neighbourhood Renewal funding from April 2008.
• Over £21m from the Single Regeneration Budget for projects including Bolton Vision For The Future Partnership, a 7 year scheme targeting Breightmet and Tonge Moor, to increase the number of voluntary/community groups and to reduce unemployment and burglaries.
European Funding
• £7m has been allocated for the provision of advice and support to new and established businesses in Bolton, including the provision of new premises for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
• An additional £1m has been allocated to Bolton in September 2006 to support projects creating employment opportunities in the most deprived areas, bringing total Objective 2 funding for these activities to over £7.4m.
• £9.6m of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was allocated to Bolton’s Economic Development Zone to support the regeneration of brownfield sites, premises for business use, and improved transport infrastructure.
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Bolton |
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Labour market |
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Employment |
Oct 2006/Dec 06 |
Oct 2007/Dec 07 |
% Change |
Claimant Unemployment |
Jun 2007 |
Jun 2008 |
% Change |
|
Bolton |
123,747 |
121,191 |
-2.1 |
Bolton |
4,221 |
4,443 |
+5.3 |
|
North West |
3,004,440 |
3,065,500 |
+2.0 |
North West |
107,682 |
110,769 |
+2.9 |
|
England |
22,943,890 |
23,636,750 |
+3.0 |
England |
716,283 |
695,550 |
-2.9 |
|
Youth Unemployment |
Jun 2007 |
Jun 2008 |
% Change |
Long-term Unemployment |
Jun 2007 |
Jun 2008 |
% Change |
|
Bolton |
225 |
195 |
-13.3 |
Bolton |
555 |
425 |
-23.4 |
|
North West |
6,410 |
5,775 |
-9.9 |
North West |
16,750 |
13,280 |
-20.7 |
|
England |
41,730 |
32,530 |
-22.0 |
England |
123,465 |
85,950 |
-30.4 |
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Education |
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Average Funding Per Pupil |
2004/ 05(£) |
2005/ 06(£) |
% Change |
Number of Teachers |
Jan 2006 |
Jan 2007 |
% Change |
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Bolton |
3,960 |
4,270 |
+7.8 |
Bolton |
2,550 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
North West |
4,080 |
4,290 |
+5.1 |
North West |
62,500 |
61,300 |
-1.9 |
|
England |
4,350 |
N/A |
N/A |
England |
435,600 |
435,200 |
-0.1 |
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% of 11yr olds achieving required standard in English |
Sep 2005/Aug 06(%) |
Sep 2006/Aug 07(%) |
Change |
% of 11yr olds achieving required standard in Maths |
Sep 2005/Aug 06 |
Sep 2006/Aug 07 |
% Change |
|
Bolton |
80 |
81 |
+1.3 |
Bolton |
78 |
77 |
-1.3 |
|
North West |
80 |
81 |
+1.3 |
North West |
78 |
79 |
+1.3 |
|
England |
79 |
80 |
+1.3 |
England |
76 |
77 |
+1.3 |
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% of 15yr olds achieving 5 or more GCSEs A-C (or equivalent) |
Sep 2005/Aug 06(%) |
Sep 2006/Aug 07(%) |
Change |
|
|
|
|
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Bolton |
51 |
55 |
+7.3 |
|
|
|
|
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North West |
57 |
60 |
+6.4 |
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