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Hello Residents;
Many of you will remember the devastating Moorland Wildfires that affected the Bolton North area in 2018. Emergency services worked for 41 days to tackle the fires which affected vast swathes of the Smithills estate.
In 2023 GMP joined up with Chorley, Bolton, and Blackburn with Darwen councils, along with the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and Lancashire Police to bring into force a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for parts of Chorley, Darwen and Bolton.
The PSPO came into force on 21st August 2023 to prevent devastation to wildlife and reduce the risks of wildfire on the moors. The PSPO bans any activities on moorland that carry a significant risk of causing wildfires – such as lighting barbeques, building or lighting campfires or camping stoves, lighting fireworks, or setting off night-sky paper lanterns.
Officers from the partner agencies patrol at-risk areas during hot and busy days, reminding people of their responsibilities and to ensure that those who are out enjoying themselves in a safe and responsible manner. Breaching the PSPO is a criminal offence and could result in a fine of up to £1,000.
The restrictions within the PSPO must be renewed every few years, meaning that Bolton Council is consulting on whether to extend them for a further 3-year period.
Bolton Council would like to hear your views on extending the current Moorland Wildfires Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) period, banning BBQs, open flames like campfires and camping stoves, fireworks and Chinese lanterns from moorland areas, to reduce the risk of wildfires.
Please note this is NOT a Greater Manchester Police consultation but hosted by Bolton Council.
For further information about Bolton Council PSPOs in general, please see Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) – Bolton Council Website - https://www.bolton.gov.uk/community-safety-anti-social-behaviour/public-spaces-protection-orders-pspos?documentId=573&categoryId=20041
You can find out more about the PSPO, background and the areas covers in the following document:- https://www.bolton.gov.uk/downloads/file/7578/moorland-wildfires-pspo-faqs-2026
You can find more information about the PSPO itself, the consultation and complete the survey by following the following link -
https://www.bolton.gov.uk/directory-record/6948/moorland-wildfires-public-space-protection-order-2026
The survey itself takes around 5-10 mins to complete. Survey Closes Monday 20th April 2026.
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