The former quarry off STANLEY ROAD and DEVONSHIRE ROAD is virtually the only green space in the immediate area. Since Devonshire Road School stopped using it for football it has not been maintained (see picture).  The Council is considering selling it for housing – when that was first mooted, we insisted that some should be […]

 The roundabout at the junction of CHORLEY OLD ROAD and MOSS BANK WAY (Doffcocker roundabout) has attracted a lot of positive comments recently because of the magnificent display of wildflowers on it. Earlier this year we arranged for these to be sown using a small part of the Area Forum budget. We hope we have […]

All that was holding up the controversial Smithills Coaching House development – Bolton Council having given planning approval for 21 houses in the Green Belt against the recommendations of their own expert and of English Heritage – were the covenants restricting the use of the land to car parking. Those covenants were imposed when the Council (again […]

After consultation with residents the Smithills Area Forum has agreed to fund the introduction of a 20 mph zone covering SMITHILLS CROFT ROAD, WOODBURN DRIVE , MOSS LANE and BARROW BRIDGE ROAD (and all roads off).       Subject to formal consultation by the Council, this should be introduced before the end of 2013.

Smithills residents were asked to nominate the road in Smithills with the worst road surface – we said we would then try to use the small Area Forum budget to get it resurfaced. Although several roads were nominated (Bentinck Street, Thornbeck Road, Graythwaite Road, Grizedale Close and Marlwood Road) the clear winner was SEATON ROAD […]

Congratulations to Bolton Wanderers for getting rid of QuickQuid as their shirt sponsor. Public pressure has paid off, and a sensible decision has been made. By doing that so quickly, the football club will hopefully retain the great amount of goodwill it had in the community. Now, all set for promotion back to the Premier […]

I was horrified to learn that Bolton Wanderers had signed a shirt sponsorship deal with the payday loan company,  QuickQuid.             Bolton Wanderers has always prided itself on being a family orientated, community football club. By agreeing to this deal, many Wanderers fans will believe that the club is endorsing use of this payday loan company, […]

  News that Bolton Council is in advanced talks with The Woodland Trust over selling off most of the Smithills Estate may come as a surprise to many. In fact, the decision to sell off all the Smithills estate except the ‘core area’ was taken over four years ago. (The ‘core area’ is broadly the […]

Residents’ feed back shows that most are very pleased with the improved surface. However, there is widespread concern that the new smaller speed cushions allow vehicles to go through in the middle of the road without reducing speed. There is a belief that this could lead to accidents. We are checking out the views of […]

As part of the savings it is making, Bolton Council is proposing to close Animal World. That would be a further kick in the teeth for Moss Bank Park and the team of volunteers who have worked so hard to keep it open and improve it.                          The Council proposed closure before, but was […]