To underpin Bolton's open spaces planning and investment for the next ten years, the Council commissioned Knight Kavanagh & Page (KKP) to undertake a PPG17 open space, sport and recreation study. Neighbourhood Renewal provided financial support for the study.

Around 3,000 acres (1,300 hectares) of land in Bolton is given over to parks and green spaces. These range from country parks and nature reserves to more informal areas of recreational space. Bolton also boasts 130 children's play areas, 70 soccer pitches and numerous recreation grounds.

As part of the study, KKP's dedicated open spaces team conducted:

• Desk research to develop an understanding of the local context.
• Extensive consultation with community groups, sports clubs, key individuals and officers from relevant agencies to understand perception of open spaces and identify key issues.
• A street survey with 800 residents across Bolton to identify the attitudes and needs of the broader local community.
• 350 site visits to evaluate the quality and value of open spaces in Bolton, including a Green Flag potential sites evaluation.

The street survey reinforced the value placed on open spaces by local residents; 88% of those surveyed rated them as important. In addition, 50% of respondents rated parks and gardens in the Borough as good or very good.

Following the extensive audit and assessment of open spaces a Strategy and Action Plan was recommended by KKP to provide a long term vision for Bolton Council and its partners in relation to the continued provision and improvement of open spaces across the Borough

"providing good quality and accessible open space, sport and recreational opportunities in order to support Bolton being a great place to grow up, live, learn, work, do business and visit."

Some of the key objectives outlined in the Strategy included:

• The need to consider options to decrease unofficial motorbike use across open spaces, e.g., through greater publicity regarding penalties, by increasing deterrent signs, perimeter fencing and gates.
• The necessity to undertake an education campaign across the Borough to raise awareness of the problem with dog fouling on open spaces and to highlight associated health risks. This was linked to the requirement to increase enforcement and raise awareness that dog waste can be now be disposed of in general waste/dual waste litterbins.
• To encourage people of different generations to interact in order to create an environment whereby young people are presented in a less threatening role and, linked to this, to improve perceptions surrounding young people e.g. through positive media releases.
• To raise awareness of accessible open space provision e.g. through promotion on the Council website, on site signage and leaflets.

The Council is already in an ideal position to address the need to raise awareness of open spaces via Green Flag. As part of the project, KKP provided advice to support Bolton's 2007 bid for Green Flag awards leading to Moss Bank Park and Moses Gate Country Park successfully achieving the prestigious award for the first time.