30/11/2025
UNEXPLAINED AND DISPROPORTIONATE INTERFERENCE BY BOLTON COUNCIL
Over the last eight months, Greenbank Animal Sanctuary has faced repeated and disproportionate interference from Bolton Council without any clear explanation, findings, or lawful basis ever being provided.
Since April, we have experienced 17 separate visits, checks or inspections, and over 30 separate reports, letters, emails or interventions involving Bolton Council. Despite this, we have:
• ❌ never been told what any “complaint” was actually about
• ❌ never been given a reason for the initial visit in April
• ❌ never had a single finding, outcome, or conclusion shared with us
• ❌ never received evidence that any legitimate concern even existed
• ❌ never received answers to our formal complaints or SARs
In eight months of continual disruption, Bolton Council has not identified a single breach, nor provided a proper justification for the volume or frequency of its actions.
This is not proportionate oversight.
This is repeated, unexplained intrusion that has placed enormous pressure on a small volunteer-run rescue during a period of strict APHA disease-control restrictions, when unnecessary visits put both animal welfare and biosecurity at risk.
For our sanctuary, the impact has been severe:
• 🐾 Distress to vulnerable rescued animals
• ⏳ Daily routines repeatedly interrupted without reason
• 📄 No conclusions, no closure, and no accountability
• 🧠 Ongoing emotional stress from unpredictable, unjustified visits
• 🚪 A sense of being monitored without cause or transparency
More seriously, the climate created by this repeated and unexplained attention has coincided with a marked escalation outside our control:
⭐ Since Bolton Council’s involvement began:
• there have been three separate break-ins,
• multiple incidents of threats and verbal abuse, and
• three physical assaults on Peter while simply caring for the animals.
We are not suggesting Bolton Council caused these acts — but the pattern, timing and escalation are impossible to ignore. The council’s actions have clearly emboldened others, while offering us no clarity, support, or protection in return.
At the same time:
• Our Subject Access Requests remain unanswered — one nearly 10 months overdue.
• Our Stage 2 complaint has been ignored for more than seven months.
• We still do not know why the initial visit even occurred.
• We still have no details of any complaint ever made.
• No officer has provided any explanation for their repeated attendance.
This is not how a public authority should treat any resident, charity or small animal sanctuary.
It is important to be clear that this pressure has not come from our community.
Our neighbours have been overwhelmingly supportive and protective of the sanctuary. The ongoing issues stem from only two individuals, neither of whom resides in their property, yet whose repeated reports — none of which have ever been disclosed or evidenced — remain unchallenged by the council.
We share this publicly not out of anger, but out of a need for transparency and fairness. After eight months of unanswered questions and repeated disruption with no outcomes, we are simply asking for:
⭐ Proportionate, transparent, and accountable treatment from Bolton Council.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
To everyone who has supported us, checked in on us, and helped us through the most challenging period the sanctuary has ever faced — thank you. Your kindness keeps us going.
– Greenbank Animal Sanctuary
