ATHERTON has its own unique identity, with a proud and rich history – distinct from the other neighbouring towns around it.

It’s one of the reasons why, when I was elected back in 2015, I renamed my constituency from just Bolton West, to Bolton West and Atherton.

Despite this, however, we’re in serious danger of Atherton merging with the towns around it – and with it, the real possibility that Atherton and our neighbouring towns will no longer look and feel like the friendly communities they are now in a few years’ time.

I know a lot of people are aware that there are proposals for thousands of houses to be built in the green fields between Atherton and Tyldesley, Hulton and Westhoughton – it is by far the single biggest issue raised with me by constituents.

The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework – the local blueprint for where houses should be built – was meant to make sure local people decide where they want housing, and how much of it.

The point was to take decisions to a local level where, in theory, they’re more likely to be in the best interest of residents.

Despite this opportunity, our local politicians are failing us.

The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework has been pushed back time and time again.

A draft of it was meant to be signed off by local council leaders last year, but when Andy Burnham was elected Greater Manchester Mayor, he scrapped it and decided that it must be started again.

We were then told it was going to be released earlier this year but then it was, conveniently some may say, pushed back until after local elections.

We are now told that the next draft will not be published until July.

In the meantime, our green fields are becoming a free for all – with the Spatial Framework in limbo, so too are local people’s powers to stop them.

A few weeks ago, Bolton MBC gave the go ahead for over a thousand houses and a golf course to be built on the historic Hulton Estate.

We’ve got a similar number of houses planned for land south of Atherton, as well as all of the other smaller pockets of sites in the area.

If all of these plans go through, we could very soon see just one homogenous mass of housing stretching west of the M61.

Local politicians need to get their act together and come up with a housing plan that has the support of residents.

It needs to have concrete solutions for how our roads, public transport, schools and health services will cope with the amount of houses they want to build.

Most importantly, any new development need to be a part of our communities – not destroy them.