SWAN meets regularly: The next meeting is on:

• Tuesday, 17th August 2010 from 8:00 PM

Westhoughton with Chew Moor Area Forum

• Last meeting: Tuesday, 29th June 2010 at Westhoughton High School (BL5 3BZ).
  >> Details WCM Forum.
  
  Previous meetings:
  9th March 2009 (Presentation about the proposed Westhoughton High School rebuild and Youth Forum).
  
  10th November 2009 (achievements, shortcomings & future goals of Towns Forum) | Agenda (10/11/09)
  
  28th July 2009 | Forum minutes (28/7/09)
  
  Further info: Area Working Team - Tel: 01204 331252

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  Previous meetings:
  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.
  
  14th January 2009 (Westhoughton 'Big Issues'update & Economic Development of Westhoughton Town Centre)| Agenda (16/1/09) | Minutes (16/1/09).
  
  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).
  
  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.
  
  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)
  
  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.
  Meetings now monthly.

  • Next meeting: Thursday, 19th August at 2:00 PM at the Festival Hall.
    
  • Every four weeks thereafter.

  New Planning Committee for 2009-10 comprises of 22 councillors - 11 Labour, 8 Conservative and 3 Lib Dems - two of whom are Westhoughton councillors - David Wilkinson & Pat Allen; 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

  These session are run by the PCsos covering Over Hulton (Steve Howard), Westhoughton North (Michelle Moore) and Westhoughton South (Keith Atherton) dealing with community policing issues and crime prevention awareness. All local residents are welcome to attend these events which will be held on a regular basis. Further details of meeetings can be obtains at the Westhoughton Police Post at Pavilion Square (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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