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April 2026 Page 3 AD SALES 01204 478812 Bury Head Office 2 Manchester Road, Bury Lancashire, BL9 0DT. T: 0161 764 5266 Open 9AM-5PM Little Lever Office 58 Market Street, Little Lever Bolton, BL3 1HN. T: 01204 709959 Open 9AM-5PM www.clough-willis.co.uk @BurySolicitor info@clough-willis.co.uk We believe that experience counts when it comes to matters of family and personal law. Our team of specialist solicitors provide free, 20 minute consultations on the following: • Employment Law • Wills, Probate, Trusts & Tax Planning • Personal Injury • Family Matters • Property Law • Litigation/Dispute Resolution Call us now on 0800 083 0815 to book your free appointment! Loyal, resilient and trustworthy Advertiser’sannouncement What is the Renters’ Rights Act 2025? The Act is a reform of private rental law in England. It reshapes the balance between landlords and tenants by introducing stronger tenant protections, tighter controls on rent practices, new compliance requirements and higher prop- erty standards. When do the changes take effect? The Act is being introduced in stages. FromMay 1, 2026, section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will be abol- ished and most Assured Shorthold Tenancies will convert into roll- ing tenancies. What is happening to Assured Shorthold Tenancies? ASTs will be abolished from May 1 and will automatically convert into assured periodic, or rolling tenancies. This applies to both new and existing tenancies. In practice, fixed terms will disappear and tenancies will continue on a month-to-month basis. Rent will only be payable up to one month in advance. How can tenants end a tenancy under the new system? Tenants will be able to terminate their tenancy by giving twomonths’ notice to their landlord. What replaces section 21 ‘no- fault’ evictions? From May 1, 2026, landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without providing a reason. They must rely on Section 8 of the Hous- ing Act 1988 and cite one or more of the statutory grounds for pos- session. If a mandatory ground is established at a possession hearing, the court must grant an order for possession. If only discretionary grounds are relied upon, the court will consider whether it is reason- able to grant possession in light of all the circumstances. Are landlords still allowed to take deposits and rent in advance? Landlords may still take holding deposits and tenancy deposits, but strict limits remain in place. A holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent, and tenancy depos- its are capped at five weeks’ rent, or six weeks where annual rent exceeds £50,000. In relation to rent in advance, landlords may take a maximum of one month’s rent, or By Lorraine Stratton-Webb, Partner in the residential conveyancing team at Clough & Willis Solicitors RENTERSRIGHTS ACT:WHATDOESIT MEANFORYOU? 28 days’ rent where payments are due every 28 days or less. Is rent bidding still allowed? No. Landlords must advertise an asking rent and are not permitted to accept more than that adver- tised figure. How will rent increases work? Rent increases will be limited to once per year and must be made using the formal Section 13 notice procedure. Any proposed rent must reflect the open market rate. If a tenant believes that the proposed rent exceeds market value, they may challenge. Can landlords refuse pets? Tenants will have an implied right to request permission to keep a pet, and landlords may not unreasona- bly refuse consent. Landlords must respond within 28 days. Does the Act address discrimination? Yes. The Act prohibits landlords and agents from discriminating against prospective tenants on the basis of benefit status or family sta- tus. Blanket restrictions such as ‘No DSS’ or exclusions targeting families will no longer be lawful. How will the Act be enforced? Local authorities will be empow- ered to investigate suspected breaches, impose financial penal- ties of up to £7,000 per breach and up to £40,000 for repeated offences, issue banning orders preventing individuals from letting property and pursue criminal sanctions for obstruction or non-compliance. ● If you have any questions on any property matters, please contact Lorraine Stratton-Webb on free- phone 0800 083 0815. TWO neighbours in Bury are celebrating after their postcode won them a total of £500,000. The anonymous play- ers pocketed a quarter of a million pounds each in Postcode Lottery’s monthly £250,000 prize. The pair were the only winners when the bumper windfall landed in BL8 2AZ on Saturday March 28. Every ticket was worth £250,000 Clutching two gold envelopes, lotteryambas- sador Matt Johnson was delighted to share news of thewhopping double. He said:“Huge congrat- ulations to both of our winners. I’m absolutely overjoyed for them. “I hope they have plenty of fun spending their winnings and cele- brate in style.” DEVELOPERS behind plans for new indus- trial park off junction 4 of the M61 say it will create 500 jobs Peel Land has sub- mitted plans for a new employment scheme which it says has the potential to boost Bolton’s economy by more than £20million a year. The 30,000 square metre development, next to Logistics North and to the south east of junction 4, is the first ‘grey belt’ application to be submit- ted by Peel Land. In a statement Peel said: “This first applica- tion of its kind will bring BOLTON’S iconic ele- phants have packed their trunks and are on their way back where they belong – in the town centre. The trio are being restored to their original home on Newport Street – ensuring they are one of the first things trav- ellers see as they exit Bolton Interchange. The fully restored and repainted models are part of a series of projects designed to make the centre more vibrant and welcoming for residents, commuters and visitors. Other s cheme s include a large dou- ble-sided LED screen to be installed in the public space outside the inter- change, providing pas- sers-by with information about Bolton’s upcoming events, local attractions and civic history. It will also help new arrivals to find their way around, comple- menting new wayfin- ding totems that have been added across the town centre. Mo r e s c heme s designed to make the town centre more vibrant will be funded by Pride in Place Impact Fund. Bolton Council has revealed it will work with artists on a series of town centre murals to celebrate the town’s his- tory and the many local musicians, performers and sporting heroes. Upgraded outdoor power units will be installed in Victoria Square to support major outdoor events. Other improvements include new outdoor seating and the renova- tion of the public space outside the new Well- springs Innovation Hub. These projects are in addition to new health and safety measures, including improved street lighting, CCTV networks and defibril- lators that have already been installed. Bolton has a long and historic association with the elephant emblem with examples ranging from town hall carvings to statues. Theories link it to trade with India, as well as the adoption of the Elephant and Cas- tle from the Arms of MAKING A TRUNK CALL Homecoming: Bolton’s famous elephant statues (Photo credit: Bolton Council) Finding the right address Coventry to symbolise strength and dignity. Local children named the three colourful elephants on Newport Street Ellie, Elmer and Mister Jackbow, follow- ing a public competition. Council leader Nick Peel, said: “Bolton deserves a town centre we can all be proud of and this council has been working hard to transform the heart of our borough.Not just with major regenera- tion schemes like Moor Lane, Deansgate Gar- dens or the upcoming Crompton Place project but also by revitalising the spaces in between. “We are creating a vibrant and welcoming town centre that cele- brates our heritage and unique identity.” New employment scheme could deliver 500 jobs Planning application: A CGI of the proposed scheme (Photo credit Peel Land) employment opportunities suitable for logistics, man- ufacturing and supply chain businesses.” It adds that the pro- posed scheme would unlock new jobs across a range of skills and roles. Based on industry standards, Peel says it will deliver more than 100 construction related jobs, 380 on site once the devel- opment is operational and a further 140 through the supply chain. Annabel Baker, Peel’s associate director, devel- opment planning, who has been leading the planning application said: “The scheme sits within the NorthFold growth corri- dor between Bolton and Wigan which has been identified by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority as a key loca- tion for employment and economic growth.” A decision on the plan- ning application submit- ted to Bolton Council should be made in the next three months.