Key Points
- Scores of people from Tonge Moor and surrounding areas turned up for a public meeting at The Alders opposing the proposed Travelling Showpeople site as outlined by Bolton Council.
- This land is located off The Alders, close to Seven Acres Local Nature Reserve and will come out of the Green Belt under the draft Local Plan of Bolton.
- The proposed scheme has allocated the land for 45 to 50 Travelling Showpeople plots with approximately 40 plots addressing the relocations needs from the existing unsuitable plots. The other five to 10 plots will be additional.
- Councillor Emily Mort explained that 40 to 50 people were present at the meeting despite bad weather conditions and information was passed to around 100 local households.
- Ward councillors Martin Donaghy, Emily Mort, Trevor Jones and Mike Tucker who is Breightmet’s councillor all attended the meeting to oppose the plans.
- Issues raised by residents include green spaces, wildlife, flooding, traffic, infrastructure and environmental importance of the site.
- Emily Mort revealed that there had been previous planning applications rejected at this location which included housing development some 25 years ago and two recent commercial applications.
Bolton (Manchester Mirror) October 28, 2026 — Opposition to Bolton Council’s proposal to relocate Travelling Showpeople to land off The Alders in Tonge Moor has intensified after dozens of residents attended a public meeting to raise concerns about the scheme.
As reported by The Bolton News, the gathering took place at The Alders, close to the green-belt plot identified in the council’s emerging Local Plan. Residents from Tonge Moor and neighbouring areas attended to share concerns and encourage others to participate in the ongoing consultation process.
Councillor Emily Mort, who represents Tonge Moor, said between 40 and 50 people attended despite what she described as “horrendous weather”. She added that information about the proposals was distributed to around 100 nearby households.
“It was really good to get the community together,” Councillor Mort said, as reported by The Bolton News. “Myself and Cllr Donaghy were thankful to see them all despite the horrendous weather.”
Why are Bolton residents opposing the site?
The proposal forms part of Bolton Council’s search for land to accommodate Travelling Showpeople as part of the borough’s development blueprint. The council’s draft Local Plan proposes removing land off The Alders from the Green Belt and allocating it for up to 50 Travelling Showpeople plots.
According to The Bolton News, the council’s Local Plan states that around 40 of the plots would meet the need to relocate people from existing unsuitable plots, while between five and 10 would provide additional plots.
Residents attending the meeting were described by Councillor Mort as “overwhelmingly against” the proposal. She said: “I think it’s very clear that we’re all on the same page on this.”
Among the concerns raised are the loss of green space, the site’s environmental importance and potential impacts on wildlife. Residents have also expressed concerns about flooding and the potential effect on local wildlife.
Councillor Mort described the area as a heritage and wildlife corridor and referred to previous planning decisions affecting the land. “Previous planning applications on this site have been declined because it’s not been suitable for development,” she said, according to The Bolton News. “Housing was declined around 25 years ago and two commercial uses have been refused in more recent years.”
The proposed site lies near Seven Acres Local Nature Reserve, while Tonge Moor Road Local Centre and Hall i’ th’ Wood station are around 800 metres away.
What did councillors say at the meeting?
Ward councillors Martin Donaghy, Emily Mort, Trevor Jones and Breightmet’s Councillor Mike Tucker joined the meeting in opposition to the proposed location.
Councillor Mort stressed that the opposition was directed at the proposed site rather than at Travelling Showpeople themselves. “Nobody has a problem with relocating the travelling showpeople,” she said, as reported by The Bolton News. “We know they’re a big part of the Bolton community, but this is just not the place.”
Councillor Mort said the next stage would involve continuing discussions with council officers and encouraging as many residents as possible to take part in the consultation.
“We’ve heard the residents loud and clear and we’ll now take this forward with the relevant people at the local authority,”
she added.
Residents can continue submitting their views through the Local Plan consultation process.
What is the current site for Bolton’s Showmen?
The current site used by Bolton’s Travelling Showpeople is Mill Hill Caravan Park, located on Mill Hill Industrial Estate. Concerns have been raised about numerous trailers and trucks parked on the industrial estate and about the unsuitability of the existing site.
Travelling Showpeople have long been part of Bolton’s community and economy. Councillors have stressed that opposition to the proposal is focused on the proposed location rather than the community itself.
Bolton Council’s Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment identifies a need for 30 plots for Travelling Showpeople, comprising 15 in the short term and a further 15 in the longer term. The assessment also identifies a need for 13 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, with 11 required in the short term and two in the longer term.
The council’s accommodation needs assessment notes that concerns were raised over a lack of space for equipment and the adequacy of space on yards for a combination of residential accommodation and the storage and maintenance of equipment.
How large is local opposition?
The public meeting follows months of debate surrounding the proposal, which has become one of the most closely watched elements of Bolton’s emerging Local Plan.
A petition opposing proposals for land off The Alders, between Tonge Moor and Breightmet, had attracted more than 500 signatures on Change.org by 7 October 2026. The petition was launched by residents living near the site.
As reported by The Bolton News, resident Derek Wilcox, who moved into Thicketford Close in December, said residents had concerns about traffic, wildlife and the potential effect on nearby homes if the site was eventually developed. He also raised concerns about vehicles using The Alders, saying the road was already difficult to navigate when nearby equestrian events were taking place.
Another resident, Tammy Galloway, who started the petition, said residents of nearby Thicketford Close would look directly over the proposed site.
“The residents of Thicketford Close who will be directly impacted and look out over the new site have not been consulted,”
she said, according to The Bolton News.
“The first we heard was in your newspaper.”
The petition raises concerns about the potential impact on the Green Belt, traffic, existing infrastructure and people living nearby. It calls on the council to reconsider the allocation and examine alternative locations, while asking for further engagement with the Tonge Moor community.
What does Bolton Council propose?
Bolton Council says its plan changes the Green Belt boundary at only four locations: Health Innovation Bolton, the Blackrod Employment Cluster, the Logistics North Extension, and land off The Alders at Tonge Moor to provide homes for Travelling Showpeople.
The council has scheduled further Local Plan consultation events. According to Bolton Council, these are due to take place at Bolton Central Library on Tuesday 3 November 2026, New Bury UCAN in Farnworth on Wednesday 4 November 2026, and Westhoughton Hub on Thursday 12 November 2026.
The council has also urged residents to view the latest version of the Local Plan and submit their views during the consultation.
Background of the development
The proposed allocation concerns land off The Alders in Tonge Moor, near the boundary with Breightmet. The site is close to Seven Acres Local Nature Reserve and has been identified in Bolton Council’s draft Local Plan as a location for 45 to 50 Travelling Showpeople plots.
The proposal is intended to address the relocation needs of Travelling Showpeople currently based at Mill Hill Caravan Park on Mill Hill Industrial Estate, where concerns have been raised about the suitability of the existing site and the presence of trailers and trucks.
Bolton Council’s evidence base identifies a longer-term need for Travelling Showpeople accommodation, including plots to replace existing unsuitable yards and additional plots to meet assessed need.
Opposition has developed through petitions, consultation responses and community meetings. Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about Green Belt loss, traffic, highway capacity, flooding, wildlife, infrastructure and consultation.
Prediction: How could this affect residents?
For Tonge Moor and Breightmet residents, the immediate effect is likely to be continued local political engagement and a greater volume of consultation responses ahead of the Local Plan’s next stages. The public meeting indicates that opponents intend to press the council to reconsider the site selection, particularly on environmental, flooding and traffic grounds.
If the allocation proceeds, nearby households could face changes associated with a new Travelling Showpeople site, including additional vehicle movements on The Alders and pressure on local roads issues already raised by residents in the consultation process.
If the council responds to opposition by reviewing alternative locations, Travelling Showpeople may face continued uncertainty over relocation from Mill Hill Caravan Park, despite the acknowledged need for more suitable plots.
For the wider Bolton community, the outcome will help determine how the council balances its assessed need for Travelling Showpeople accommodation against Green Belt protection, environmental constraints and residents’ concerns. The consultation process remains the formal route through which residents can influence that decision.
