SWAN meets regularly: The next meeting is on:

• Tuesday, 16th March 2010 from 8:00 PM

Westhoughton with Chew Moor Area Forum

• Next meeting: Tuesday, 9th March at Westhoughton High School.
  Doors open for 'Drop-in' sessions 6:00 PM | Meeting starts 7:00 PM
  
  >> Meeting to focus on Westhoughton High School rebuilding under the Building Schools for the Future Programme. Youth participation in forums, projects and achievements. Today's event begins in the afternoon with a special 'Youth Forum', with an update of views/concers raised to be given later at the main forum.
  
  Previous meeting: 10th November 2009 (achievements, shortcomings & future goals of Towns Forum).
  Agenda (10/11/09)
  
  Previous meeting: 28th July 2009 | Forum minutes (28/7/09)
  
  Further info: Area Working Team - Tel: 01204 331252

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  Previous meeting: Tuesday, 17th March 2009 at Westhoughton High School | Agenda (17/3/09)
  >> Meeting focused on Big Bolton Health Debate and on Services for Children and Young People.
  
  Previous meeting: 14th January 2009 | Agenda (16/1/09) | Minutes (16/1/09).
  >>The meeting focused on the previously raised 'big issues' affecting Westhoughton, and in particular the Economic Development of Westhoughton Town Centre.
  
  Previous meeting: 10th September 2008 | Agenda (10/9/08) | Minutes (10/9/08)
  LDF Core Strategy 2012-26 (12,000 new houses, Cutacre plans…) | LDF Options (forum presentation).
  Previous meeting: 16th June 2008 | Agenda (16/6/08) | Minutes (16/6/08).
  >> In a change to the normal format, this meeting involved 'round table' small groups discussions; its aim to focus on the Area Working Review update and to identify and plan for 'Big Issues' that affect Westhoughton with Chew Moor.
  
  Previous meeting 11th March 2008 (Tempest United FC)
  Agenda (11/3/08) | Update March 2008 | Open Forum Answers (PDF)
  
  Previous meeting 22nd January 2008 Minutes (PDF) | Area Updates: January 2008 (PDF)
  Previous meeting 13th November 2007 Minutes
  
  

  Forum Agenda and Meetings are available from the Bolton Council website.
  
  Details of which can be found Westhoughton with Chew Moor Forum [Bolton Council].
  
  To access minutes, etc. for older Towns Forum meetings 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07.

  Why are the Community Forums important?

  Council committee meetings held in public on a regular basis. Such forums represent the interests of the locals inhabitants (some 60,000 live in the Westhoughton, Horwich & Blackrod area). Local issues, local concerns and government policy put under scrutiny during open discussion with political and governmental representatives.

  Members of SWAN would attend these meetings to keep up to date with local issues, express our views, ask questions, push for public meetings where relevant e.g. on the proposed A5225* bypass, etc.

  Such public forums are part of local democracry and ensure proper debate and lead to more transparent decision-making benefitting the local communities that the politicians and administrators actually serve.

  *Note! Wigan Council's plans for A5225 shelved in February 2007 due to lack of funding for the project…

  

  The Planning and Highways Committee of Bolton Council meets to publicly discuss and vote on – approve or reject – Planning Applications twice a month. People get the opportunity to speak at these sessions.

  • Next meeting: Thursday, 4th March at 2:00 PM in the Council Chamber, Bolton Town Hall.
    
  • Followed by: Thursday, 18th March at 2:00 PM in the Council Chamber, Bolton Town Hall.
    
  • Fortnightly thereafter. Time: 2:00 PM at Bolton Town Hall.

  New Planning Committee for 2009-10 comprises of 20 councillors - 9 Labour, 8 Conservative and 3 Lib Dems - one of whom is a Westhoughton councillor - David Wilkinson; Andrew Morgan, also on the Committee, is on Westhoughton Town Council.

  You can now find out more about planning applications and decisions on the Planning Pages of the Bolton Metro website. You can contact the Planning Department on 01204 336000

  

  Police Surgeries & Drop-in Sessions in Westhoughton

  • Monday, TBC at St. Andrews Church Hall, Crescent Ave, Over Hulton, 6 - 8:00 PM.
    with Steve Howard (Pcso)
    
    Wednesday, TBC at the Westhoughton Police Post, Pavilion Sqaure, 6 - 8:00 PM.
    with Michelle Moore (Pcso)
    
    Thursday, TBC at Daisy Hill Community Centre, 6 - 8:00 PM.
    with Philip Burrows and Keith Atherton (Pcsos)
    
    All local residents are welcome to attend these events which will be held on a regular basis. Further information from Westhoughton Police Post (0161 856 5685)

  

  Building Better Health For Bolton Consulation

  Report: PLANS FOR A NEW HEALTH CLINIC IN WESTHOUGHTON

  Bolton Primary Care Trust (PCT) is engaged in a plan to improve and develop its "estate" of health centres across Bolton, having concluded that the existing premises taken as a whole were of "poor functional quality" and inhibiting the expansion of community services. They have held a number of public consultation meetings including one recently at Westhoughton Masonic Hall (though some local residents complained that the meeting had not been well publicised).

  Plans include the refurbishment of existing premises and the building of 10 brand new health centres at sites across Bolton, one of which will be in Westhoughton, though a site has not yet been identified. At 1000 square metres floor space, the proposed Westhoughton health centre will over three times the size of the existing clinic at the corner of Market and Church streets, and it is scheduled for completion in 2011. The general policy is where possible to locate premises in neighbourhoods of high social need.

  It is intended that all Bolton health centres will provide a wide range of primary care services, including general practice, district nursing, gynaecology/maternity/midwifery, diabetes screening, paediatrics, physiotherapy and other services. We will endeavour to provide updated information on plans for Westhoughton as it becomes known.

  
  This was a Bolton Primary Care Trust consultation event relating to the future strategy which sets out a framework for modernising health buildings to enable better health and improved health services.
  
  Part of the strategy is the creation of health super-centres serving key conurbations. As yet no site has been identified in Westhoughton. Note: the proposed health centre at Metal Box which was to be funded by Section 106 money, looks unlikely to happen due to a lack of space (bad planning?).
   
  If you are concerned about what the health changes mean for Westhoughton and have an opinion about future health service provision, now is your chance to air your views and contribute to the discussion.
   
  For more information about these events, and the consultation exercise, by visiting the
  Primary Care Trust website
   
  Related stories worth a look:
  Bolton PCT consultaton press release (19/3/08) and the reaction of the BMA to super-clinics (14/3/08).
  New NHS polyclinics will damage patient care, warns thinktank (5/6/08).
  
  Seven new health super-centres will be built in Bolton - including one in Westhoughton - after NHS chiefs rubber-stamped a multi-million-pound scheme. Where will they put it?
  Green light for health super centres (Bolton News 13/6/08).

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