Bolton Council missed a deadline for the £16m Levelling Up Fund bidding process because of an email that was too large.
It’s been reported by the BBC that Bolton Council missed the application deadline because its ‘submission had been too large to be received by the government’s server’.
The council had intended to apply for funding for Bolton’s Crompton Place scheme, which will create an ‘improved retail and dining experience’ near the Town Hall.
The deadline was June 18, but council bosses blamed ‘technical issues’ for missing it.
Labour has accused Bolton Council of ‘dropping the ball’.
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In a meeting on Monday, Bolton’s director of place Gerry Brough said: “Two bids were being simultaneously submitted.
Credit: BCEGI Construction
“Both bids involved collating many separate documents and third party letters of support and unfortunately we did not receive all necessary signed documents until that morning.
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“At the point of submission, it became apparent that file size limitations on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government server meant that both bids had to be broken down into four separate parts, so they could be attached to four separate emails.
“The medical college bid was submitted first and in full before the noon deadline [but] the Crompton Place bid could not be submitted in full before the deadline.”
He said that no indication was given that the bid was unacceptable and that the missed deadline wasn’t highlighted as an issue until October.
Labour councillor Nick Peel said: “Had I not pursued this, the public of Bolton would have been kept completely in the dark.
“These are not the actions of an open and transparent council.
“The fact is that the council did drop the ball [and] it is quite frankly a very costly mess.”
Featured Image – BCEGI Construction
Bolton
IRONMAN Bolton guide 2026 – course map, key times, travel advice and all the essential info
Danny Jones
The annual IRONMAN competition here in Greater Manchester has come back around for 2026, with the 70.3-mile Bolton challenge returning for a fourth editionthis weekend.
Just the third consecutive iteration of the middle-distance triathlon since the event became permanent once again in 2024, this incredible feat of endurance still draws just as much support as the 14 full-length versions that concluded the year prior – if not maybe even more.
From a spectator’s point of view, the shorter (but still ridiculously impressive length) arguably makes for a much better day out cheering from the sidelines overall, and these superhuman specimens definitely need as much support as they can get.
With that in mind, we thought we’d put together a list of all the important information ahead of the race, from details around the three stages themselves to the whereabouts in Bolton it will pass through, guidance when it comes to getting there, and much more.
IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton 2026: everything you need to know
The IRONMAN route through Bolton – course maps, transitions and more
For starters, we’re sure most, if not all, of you taking this on are already fully familiar with the routes they’ll be taking over the course of Sunday, 7 June, but perhaps for the select few who haven’t and the benefit of those cheering on from the sidelines, here’s how it looks…
The swim
First up is the open-water swim across Pennington Flash Country Park and nature reserve, which is technically located in Leigh, but this will be your first foray over Wigan way on the day.
Bolton Ironman bike ride course
Moving on to the cycling section after the first transition, the IRONMAN official global series-approved course largely hasn’t changed all that much in recent memory, with the route taking you through parts of the borough, including Bolton centre, Farnworth, Westhoughton, Lostock, Middlebrook and more.
You will also head towards Leigh and Pennington, once again, as well as Atherton and near Golborn before making your way back over to Bolton proper.
Running route
Finally, things will be rounding off with a half marathon right in the heart of the old Lancashire town, with the approximately 21.1 km course seeing you complete two loops before crossing the finish line in the shadow of Bolton Town Hall. Box office stuff.
You can also see each of the transition maps and download all course sections to your GPX right HERE.
2026 event schedule and estimated timings
With the sold-out Night Run and IRONKIDS tie-in events taking place the day prior, following sign-ins on the Friday evening (5 Jun), full IRONMAN 70.3 athlete registration will be open from 8am on Saturday, with the check-in at the aforementioned Town Hall closing at 3pm sharp.
Bag and bike check-ins for RED and BLUE groups for the first two transitions from 8 and 9am, respectively; each will close around 4pm, so once again, don’t wait around and put any of this off.
Our advice, as always with these things: get there early and have it done and out of the way as soon as possible so you can focus on the long couple of days ahead.
There will also be an official swim practice held at Pennington Flash from 11am-1pm for registered athletes only, so take that into consideration, too.
As for the race day itself, times will obviously vary between participants, but here’s a breakdown of the activity blocks and when people need to be present for pick-ups by the shuttle buses, etc:
You can consult the entire event schedule in full HERE
Road closure and travel info
Now, as travel advice, it goes without saying that an event this big and spanning multiple Greater Manc areas doesn’t go ahead without serious planning and preparation infrastructure-wise.
With that in mind, as you can see above, there are shuttle buses available for both IRONMAN challengers and their fans, with pick-up points in central Bolton and from Leigh Sports Village (LSV).
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As always with big events like this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) are advising people to take public methods of transportation wherever possible, especially given the multiple road closures and diversions over the weekend.
You’ll find all the specific diversion details in here.
Getting there by train
Bolton is well connected to all main railway stops in Manchester and is only roughly a 20-minute journey from the city; Bolton train station itself is only a 10-minute walk from the Town Hall, as well.
By bus
As for hopping on a bus, there are various Bee Network lines and other services across the region that will take you into Bolton town centre. You can plan your journey (with diverted routes taken into account) right HERE.
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Parking
If you must drive, please be advised of the road closures mentioned above, and as for car parks, you will find spaces at the following locations:
LSV – Over 1,000 free car parking spaces are available on the site; access to these car parks is via Sale Way, situated directly off the A579 Atherleigh Way.
Bolton town centre – Various designated parking spaces across the town, all are subject to charge, with the option to pre-book some spaces in advance.
Spectator spots, volunteering, and other supporter info
Last but not least, getting that extra energy from those standing roadside or even on the shore for the duration of IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton is essential for these legends to make it through to the end, so if you’re spectating on the day, here’s some extra advice.
Fan hotspots include Atherleigh Way for the swim start and a good view of the cycling course; the same goes for The Retreat on Chorley New Road for the bike and running routes. Meanwhile, The Crown pub in Horwich is a popular stop-off during the two-wheeled action, as is the Old Kiln Lane Climb.
St Luke’s Church in Lowton is also another great viewing zone, with coffees being handed out to plen ty of supporters, too, and of course, anything near Le Mans Crescent or into Bolton town centre for the heart of the whole IRONMAN Festival weekend is always a great atmosphere.
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For instance, there’s also a brand-new expo village and fan area, where people can enjoy everything from poster making and temporary tattoos to photo opps, bib decoration, as well as various other games and activities for all ages – not to mention food and drink across the IRONFAN area.
All we have left to say is good luck to everyone taking on the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 in Bolton this Sunday. It’s truly inspiring stuff, and we sincerely hope you get lots of noise and buzz from those watching on.
Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his younger brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Daisy Jackson -
15th December 2021 
