Council votes to triple value of ‘bad debt’ it can write-off ‘without oversight’

Until now Bolton Council officers had the authority to write off a maximum of £5,000 worth of bad debts in each individual case.

But at a meeting at town hall last week a motion was put to councillors to approve a scheme of delegation that gave unelected officers the power to write off up to £15,000 in each case.

Cllr David Grant, of Horwich South and Blackrod, said: “Transparency in local government is key and to have no…