Why one of Bolton council's top chiefs has jetted off to France

Bolton Council has a representative at MIPIM, an annual property event being held in the south of France this week, in a bid to convince companies of the borough’s potential.

This year 23,000 participants are expected to attend from 90 countries and it is hoped that the event will result in a boost for Bolton’s economy.

Previous visits to the MIPIM conferences have resulted in securing the deal to bring The Light Cinema Experience to the Market Place Shopping Centre, as well as building up relationships with other private investors.

Bolton Council has made the journey to Cannes as part of the Manchester at MIPIM Partnership, alongside colleagues from Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham, Trafford, Salford, and Stockport councils.

The Partnership will present the investment and development opportunities across Greater Manchester, with the goal of attracting new investors.

Stephen Young, the council’s director of place, is representing Bolton at the event and all of his costs in attending have been covered by sponsorship from the private sector.

Mr Young said that he is at MIPIM to talk about some of Bolton’s latest developments and to explore new opportunities.

He added: “We are there to showcase what Bolton has to offer to investors and developers.

“The profile we gain from being part of a large delegation is great in giving us access to developers and businesses on a world stage.

“As a public sector body it would be impossible for us to deliver economic development in isolation without private sector funding.”

Bolton Council hosted a panel session on Tuesday, joined by colleagues from Salford, leading developers, partners and investors.

The session - entitled “Why Cultural Life Matters” – emphasised how culture matters to a place when attracting talent and investment.

Town hall representatives first attended the prestigious event in 2006, and say it has helped to attract interest in projects such as the Logistics North development.