New roads being built as part of the £19M redevelopment of Bickershaw Colliery could be named after former miners who worked at the pit. The council believes it would be a fitting tribute to the legacy of the former Leigh pit, which closed in 1992 after 115 years.
Atherton is to get Sunday trains for twelve months starting in May. The service will run hourly during the day, with the last train departing from Manchester shortly after 6pm. Trains will run between Wigan Wallgate and Manchester Victoria, via Atherton and Walkden. It will be funded by Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority for a year before being reviewed.
Full details of how the borough’s public services are performing are now available on the independent OnePlace website at One Place - Wigan (external link)
It reveals where the council and its partners are doing well and where there are still some big challenges.
Four per cent of the metal waste we produce each year comes from aerosol cans but the UK is lagging behind the rest of Europe when it comes to recycling them. Now the council has launched a campaign to encourage more people to do just that – in their brown bins or a local can bank.
Garrett Hall Primary is flying the borough’s newest green flag. The Tyldesley school has become the latest to achieve the coveted eco award, after joining the programme just six months ago. Wigan has one of highest number of eco schools in the UK.
Visitors to Gibfield Business Park in Atherton could soon be greeted by a dramatic new 7m high sculpture in stainless matt steel. And it’s been selected by the community. Local artist Clare Bigger who was also responsible for the successful ‘Spirit of Wigan’ sculpture on the Landgate roundabout, has designed the piece called Climbing to New Heights.
Wigan Council has been awarded more than £2M to build 35 new, affordable homes for rent on the site of the former council day centre at The Orchards, Leigh. The funding comes from the Homes and Communities Agency, the government body responsible for housing and regeneration schemes.
A new police post for the Golborne and Lowton West Neighbourhood Policing Team is now open at 93 High Street in Golborne every Monday afternoon between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. Residents can call in to tell officers about crime or anti-social behaviour where they live.
If you’d like some time away from the stresses of modern life, come along to the Friends Meeting House, 76 Swinley Road, Wigan.
A meditation group is held every Wednesday at 12.15pm for an hour. It includes quiet music, 25 minutes of silence and drinks provided. All are welcome, including beginners. Contact Roger on 01942 233465.
Wigan Ukulele Club meets at the Keepers Hotel, Woodhouse Lane, Wigan on the second and fourth Wednesdays in the month 7-30pm till 10-30pm. Uke players of whatever ability are welcome. See Wigan Ukulele Club (external link) or call Stephen on 07981 976 904.
A new website for autism carers has been set up. It’s a place for all parents or carers of a person affected by autism and they can sign in to the site and add information or share issues on the discussion board. Check it out at Autism Carers Wigan (external link)
Spring View Over 60s Social Club has won £17,000 from the Community Foundation to put on trips, entertainment and events. Now the club is seeking singers, artistes and dance teachers to perform at its meetings. The club meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 1 till 4 at Spring View community sports club off Marlborough Avenue. Call Norman on 01942 861083 to join or help out.
Memory Lane Stitchers cross-stitch club are eager to attract new members. The club was founded in 1994 and members have completed projects for Derian House, Wigan and Leigh Hospice and the maternity unit at Wigan Infirmary. Meetings are at Kingsleigh Church Hall opposite Leigh bus station on the first Monday of each month at 7.30 p.m. Contact Julie Gregory on 608646 or by e-mail to Julie Gregory
The council is proposing to increase admissions at Tyldesley Primary School from 30 to 45 on a permanent basis from September 2011. The school is popular and the predicted demand for places will continue to outstrip the 242 places currently available. £1.5 million will be invested to extend the school to accommodate an extra 15 pupils per year group. Consultation on the plan closes on March 12.
Ashton-in-Makerfield’s University of the 3rd Age celebrates its first anniversary in May. Since its launch the club now boasts 100 full and more than 60 associate members who enjoy trips out and activities such as belly dancing, family history, gardening, Tai Chi and walking. “If you’re retired from full time employment and want to start living, come and join us,” says vice chair Pat Grimshaw. Meetings are on the first and third Fridays of each month from 1 to 3 pm at the YMCA in Hilton Street. Contact Winnie on 200817 or Pat on 713841 or visit A-in-M University of the 3rd Age (external link)
Council house rents in Wigan will increase by 2.5% in 2010, taking the average rent to £63.20 a week. For the third year running tenants who sit on the board of Wigan and Leigh Housing, which manages the council’s 22,800 dwellings, had a big say in deciding the rise and where the money would be spent.
Thousands of households in England can now apply for vouchers giving them £400 off a new boiler. You must have a working 'G' rated boiler and exchange it for an 'A' rated boiler. Some energy companies are also providing added incentives. To see if your boiler qualifies go to Energy Saving Trust (external link) for details. Replacing your boiler can save a family up to £200 per year.
