Little Lever group reveals latest plans to bid for £16m upgrade

Bolton Council announced last year that it would be making the cash available to representatives from four townships, with each area able to bid for funding.

Last week, a steering group from Little Lever met for the first time, discussing plans to give the area around Market Street a major upgrade.

The meeting included business owners, religious leaders, school staff and representatives from library services and the council's development team.

It was chaired by local councillor Sean Hornby who explained that proposals to improve the 1970s precinct will be put to residents soon.

He said: "The intention will be to go out to public consultation shortly once the formalities are in place, getting a view from local residents as to what changes could be made to the centre of Little Lever to improve it, make it a place which people want to visit and generally give it the facelift which it desperately needs."

One of the first items on the steering group's agenda is the reduction of vacant properties in the centre of Little Lever, some of which could be used for housing, Cllr Hornby suggests.

The funding could also be used to improve traffic flow, especially around the Tesco Superstore in Ainsworth Road and on Aintree Road and Redcar Road, which the councillor has branded a "rat run".

Other issues raised at the meeting include increasing the number of CCTV cameras around the precinct and creating more activities for young people in a bid to battle anti social behaviour.

Finally, representatives from the group are set to meet with the local canal society and the Canal & Rivers Trust to discuss restoring a breach in the Bolton-Bury Canal which first appeared in 1936. It is thought that repairing the breach and fixing the locks around Little Lever could create a tourist attraction.

The steering group will continue to meet and will eventually compete with similar bodies in Horwich, Westhoughton and Farnworth over a share of the £16m fund.