How an ambitious clean-up operation is rebuilding trust, one street at a time

It’s part of a pioneering partnership between housing, council and police teams that could transform how communities across Bolton are supported.

Over three consecutive weeks, for one day each week, teams from Bolton at Home, Bolton Council, Farnworth and Kearsley First councillors, Bolton Borough Litter Pickers, and the Bolton neighbourhood policing team joined forces for a large-scale operation across New Bury.

Housing, council, and police teams joined residents in Farnworth to clean up streets, offer support, and reduce antisocial behaviour (Image: NQ)

The pilot aims to combine environmental clean-up with direct community engagement and targeted enforcement to improve the estate and rebuild trust between residents and local services.

A key part of the scheme was the joint funding of skips by Bolton at Home and local councillors, something community engagement manager Carrie Riley said was vital to its success.

She said: “We know not everyone has access to a car or can get to the tip, so we wanted to remove that barrier.

“We wrote to residents a week before, explaining what was happening, and encouraged people to use the skips to tidy their gardens and clear waste.

“For some, this was the first time they’d engaged with us face-to-face. It’s about helping, not just enforcing.”

Skips were filled and litter was cleared (Image: NQ)

In the weeks before the clean-up, letters were distributed across the estate advising residents to take part and warning that untidy gardens could breach tenancy agreements.

Enforcement officers then followed up in person, not to penalise, but to support.

Properties in need of attention were given practical help to dispose of waste, and residents at risk of enforcement were encouraged to act before further action became necessary.

Ms Riley said: “This is about us engaging with our tenants, finding out what their issues are, and just having a conversation.

“We’ve brought our teams together internally to make sure we can put resources into this area and really focus on making it cleaner, safer and more connected.

“We know enforcement isn’t always the right route, some people just need a bit of support.

“This has got to be the way forward for us as a business.”

Councillor Paul Sanders joined the clean-up in Farnworth (Image: NQ)

Paul Saunders, Farnworth South councillor, said the operation was about pride and prevention.

He said: “It’s been a joint effort from Bolton at Home, ward councillors, the police and other partners.

“The reason we wanted to get involved was understanding the importance of how a place looks and feels.

“When an area is tidy and cared for, it changes how people think about their community.

“This isn’t just about one day of action, it’s about the ongoing support and wraparound that follows.”

He said the impact in New Bury had already shown what was possible through collaboration.

He now believes there is ambition to extend the approach to other neighbourhoods, with Highfield identified as a potential next area for action in the spring – funding permitted.

Volunteers and local services cleared gardens, removed waste, and engaged with the Farnworth community to improve the area (Image: NQ)

Claire Greaver, Bolton at Home’s tenancy enforcement manager, said the project had changed the way her team worked.

She said: “We’ve been knocking on doors and speaking to residents directly rather than just sending warnings.

“By doing that, we’ve actually reduced the number of warnings we’ve had to issue.

“We’ve brought the tip to the doorstep and, where people needed help, we’ve worked with them.

“For those who didn’t use the skips, we’ll follow up to make sure gardens are brought up to standard, but it’s always about support first.”

Ms Greaver said improving the estate’s appearance was about more than just keeping it tidy.

She added: “We know when an area looks better, it reduces other issues like antisocial behaviour and crime.”

Litter pickers, volunteers and local services worked together across three days (Image: NQ)

Neighbourhood Inspector James Astbury, who supported the project alongside his team, said the police were proud to work with partners on a scheme that focused on visibility and listening to residents.

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He said: “We’ve got anti-social behaviour in this area it’s a problematic area for us, but we’ve come together with partners to speak to the community, identify those problems and look at what we can put in place to make the place more desirable for the people who live and work here.

“For me, the community are the biggest partner in policing.

“They’re the eyes and ears, they live here, they see what goes on, so it’s important we listen and take action on what they tell us.”

As part of the initiative, teams also tackled issues like litter, fly-tipping and contaminated household bins.

With help from New Bury Chippy, volunteers and workers were fed (Image: NQ)

Local residents joined in to help, with community spirit boosted by a generous contribution from New Bury Chippy, which provided free meals for all volunteers, totalling 65 per day across each of the three action days.

Councillors, enforcement officers and police agreed the pilot has shown what can be achieved when services work as one.

Their focus now turns to maintaining that momentum monitoring progress in New Bury and identifying the next area in need of attention.

For Bolton at Home and its partners, it’s proof that the right combination of enforcement, support and community pride can make lasting change possible.

Source – INDIA TV