By Chris Gee
Copyright manchestereveningnews
The closure of a council owned caravan park which police said was at the centre of violence and disorder has seen crime rates plummet in the area. Just over a year ago, Bolton Council, along with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) decided to close the Crompton Lodge caravan park. At the time GMP said alleged incidents included firearms and ammunition being seized, stolen vehicles and motor parts being recovered, violent offences against council staff, stolen dogs being found, cannabis seized and cannabis production evidence being found, plant machinery found, ‘large scale’ incidents of disorder and ‘violence with injury’, criminal damage, fly-tipping and knife-point robberies. To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE The council said this week that following the intervention, incidents of anti-social behaviour, organised crime and other criminal activity have fallen drastically in the local area. The council have used police data which shows that recorded crimes in the area surrounding Crompton Lodge fell by 76pc in the 12 months following its closure. Meanwhile other recorded police incidents, including anti-social behaviour, fell from 99 in the year before to 35, marking a 64pc reduction. The council began legal proceedings to close Crompton Lodge in June, 2024 following several high-profile incidents which prompted serious concerns among local residents. The council said cases involving drugs, serious violent crime and firearms meant the site was no longer safe either for tenants or those living nearby. It said the six months leading up to legal action saw an escalation in the level of violence and criminality, culminating in a serious attack on a council liaison officer. Following a police investigation into the illegal abstraction of electricity at the site, thousand of pounds were spent on network repairs to make the area safe for residents. Significant vandalism, including to the site office, meant it was no longer possible for council staff to maintain a permanent presence in the area. In total, ongoing maintenance, repairs, and security at Crompton Lodge was costing council taxpayers in Bolton over £100,000 a year. The first closure order was granted in July 2024. The council has since successfully applied for several extensions and won possession cases against those tenants in breach of their tenancy agreements. Bolton Council cabinet member Coun Sean Fielding, said: “The closure of Crompton Lodge responded directly to the concerns of nearby residents. “While legal action comes with inevitable cost, this is weighed against the ongoing expenditure that would have been incurred if the site had been kept open. Sign up to the MEN Politics newsletter Due North here “We cannot put a price on the safety and wellbeing of the public and the council will continue to take the necessary legal steps to ensure there is no return to the sort of violent criminal behaviour which had sadly come to be associated with the site.” A further closure order was secured in June 2025, which came with the discretion to allow two families back on to the site under strict conditions. The council said it will continue to monitor the situation while consulting with the remaining families on the future of Crompton Lodge.
