Well now for the controversial topic of ' Car parking In Bolton'. I have been a Bolton resident all my life and parking in Bolton has always been talked about. It was always more expensive than its neighbours, in particular Bury who had only ever imposed nominal parking charges. 

Well I think now Bolton is side by side with many towns in its charges and Bury has come into line and no longer can you obtain the free or very inexpensive parking that was once prevalent in Bury.

I just want to canvas your thoughts around parking in Bolton as it stands currently. I am reading and hearing so many negative things said about parking, that it is too expensive, that we have too many traffic wardens, that parking notices are not clear and that the lack of affordable parking is driving shoppers out of town to venues that offer free parking such as the Trafford Centre or Middlebrook.

If a lack of free or affordable parking is the issue, surely that is the same for every town around us and not just exclusive to Bolton?

I recently went to a meeting at the Market Place and I think they offer a great deal on parking. £2.50 for up to 6 hours if I am not mistaken, with a smaller charge imposed for those people who want to park for a shorter time. I feel this encourages people to stay for longer in our town and do their shopping, with a start and end point in a lovely, secure car park. Ok admittedly it is a multi-storey car park and I know they are not everyone's cup of tea but nevertheless a decent, affordable car park.

We seem to have an abundance of on and off street parking in Bolton with charges from 30p for 30mins to more expensive for a longer stay. Of course workers in the town need to find parking that is affordable to cover there working day but again Bolton is not exclusive in this.

Again as a Bolton resident I remember the strange parking rules of odd and even days of the month when parking in Farnworth, I never quite understood the parking rules and signs and it was very much pot luck as to whether I had interpreted it correctly or not.

In conclusion while like everyone else I would enjoy free or subsidised parking, I dont think Bolton should be held to ransom for something every other town is also doing. 

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments below because I am sure there are many other sides to this story.