The Local Plan provides development guidance for within Bolton. It helps both plan for Bolton’s long term growth and is the main consideration in deciding planning applications.
The local plan is made up of the:
- Core Strategy, the key document in the Local Plan
- Allocations Plan and Policies Map
- Greater Manchester Waste Plan adopted by the ten GM Authorities, and came into force on 1 April 2012
- Greater Manchester Minerals Plan adopted by the ten GM Authorities, and came into force on 26 April 2013
- The Places for Everyone Plan adopted by nine Greater Manchester Authorities on 21 March 2024
The land use proposals and allocations within these four plans can be viewed on the Policies Map using the link above.
As a result of the adoption of Places for Everyone on 21 March 2024, Bolton’s existing Policies Map will be modified to show the re-designation of three areas of Green Belt for employment at Bewshill Farm, Chequerbent North and land at West of Wingates. Additional Green Belt has been designated at Horwich Golf Course; its planning status changing from Protected Open Land. Until this map has been updated please refer to the adopted Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan for detailed boundaries of these sites.
In addition to these plans a neighbourhood plan has been made for the Blackrod Town Council area. This provides additional considerations for the determination of planning applications within that area. The plan can be viewed via the council’s Neighbourhood Planning Page along with details of other emerging neighbourhood plans in the borough.