Chris Gee

The Two Lads stone cairns on Crooked Edge Hill in the West Pennine moors are being rebuilt after the Woodland Trust dismantled the unstable structures in July. Following public consultation, the monuments are being reconstructed as solid beehive-shaped cairns enclosed by a dry stone wall, incorporating features from several historical versions. A community archaeological dig found no significant artefacts despite local beliefs that the site may be a Bronze Age burial ground. The restoration is intended to address repeated vandalism, unsafe stone piles and the appearance of a third mound, while preserving a landmark associated with centuries of folklore about Druids and sacrifices. Work is expected to finish in early autumn.

Plans have been submitted to convert a disused former stained-glass studio on Chorley Road in Blackrod into The Wandering Peacock, a café, restaurant and ice cream parlour named after Pedro, a peacock that became locally famous for roaming the village between 2016 and 2019. The venue would offer breakfast, lunch, light evening meals, takeaway ice cream and alcohol, with around 20 to 30 seats and approximately five full-time equivalent jobs. Applicant Abigail Horrocks says the business would provide a community-focused venue and encourage residents to stay in Blackrod for local activities. Bolton Council is expected to consider the proposal in the coming weeks.

Ocean Outdoor UK Ltd has applied to install a 7.8-by-4-metre full-motion digital advertising screen above the main Millgate entrance of Wigan’s Grand Arcade. Although the site is within Wigan town centre’s conservation area, the applicant says the screen would not affect listed buildings or historic fabric and could be operated without sound, flashing or strobing. An objection argues that the illuminated display would be too large and visually dominant and would detract from nearby heritage buildings. Wigan Council is expected to decide the application in the coming weeks.

Bolton’s planning committee is due to consider a request from J Dickinson and Sons Ltd to extend 24-hour operations at its waste transfer station in Blackrod to Sundays and bank holidays, while allowing late-night work until 11pm in adjoining processing units. The company says the changes are needed to handle increased demand for waste recovery and recycling. Four residential addresses have objected, citing heavy traffic and nighttime noise from loading and unloading operations. Planning officers have recommended approval.

Bolton’s Grade II-listed Assembly Rooms has been put up for sale as commercial space following an extensive heritage-focused renovation. The four-storey building retains period features including exposed brickwork, vaulted ceilings, feature windows, a mezzanine and a central atrium, while offering conference facilities, workspaces and presentation areas. Fletcher CRE is marketing the 9,141-square-foot property with vacant possession and eight parking spaces; its asking price is available on application, and the building is said to have significant potential for alternative uses.

Spencer Reid Ltd has submitted plans to convert three adjacent buildings on Railway Road in Leigh town centre into a flexible hotel and HMO with 39 bedrooms for up to 48 people. The proposal would allow rooms to be used for either hotel guests or HMO residents, initially dividing the building roughly equally between the two uses. The applicant says there are no plans to house migrants or asylum seekers at the site. The scheme includes improvements to the building frontage but no dedicated parking, relying on public transport, nearby on-street parking and public car parks. Leigh MP Jo Platt intends to object, arguing that self-contained accommodation would better address local housing needs and support a balanced community. Wigan planners are expected to consider the application in the coming weeks.

Peel Land has launched a public consultation on Haydock Point, a proposed 1.3 million-square-foot employment campus and multi-fuel HGV hub on former green belt land near Haydock Park racecourse. The developer says the scheme could create up to 1,845 jobs, contribute about £76 million to the local economy, improve traffic capacity at M6 Junction 23, and provide extensive landscaping, wildlife areas and recreational trails. The plans would close part of the northern arm of the A49 and divert traffic through the site to the A580 East Lancashire Road. Consultation runs until 13 September, followed by an expected outline planning application to St Helens Council later in 2026.

Ellesmere Street in Farnworth, locally known as “Boneshaker Street” because of its severe potholes and damaged pavement, is due to receive large patches of resurfacing. Farnworth & Kearsley First councillors have committed £10,000 from Farnworth South ward funding, with Bolton Council expected to match the contribution from its highways budget. The road and pavement are unadopted, requiring an unusual funding approach, and the works may cause short-term disruption. Further town-centre improvements around Coucill Square are expected by the end of September.

Wigan Council’s planning committee voted 13–1 to approve retrospective permission for The Hut at Belle Vue, a shepherd’s hut and hot-tub holiday let on green-belt land in Lowton. The accommodation had operated for more than a year without permission and attracted 181 visitors, including guests from New Zealand. Planners judged the development’s green-belt impact minimal because of its small footprint, modest scale and discreet landscaped setting. Owner Andy McKechnie said the business’s initial operation provided evidence of its viability, while supporters highlighted the benefits to Pennington Flash Country Park and the local economy.

Steven and Conor Bonilla Graham-Darby of Leigh faced hundreds of homophobic comments after sharing photographs from their June wedding in Liverpool. The abuse included accusations that they were child molesters and attacks on their ability to parent their son, leaving the couple feeling threatened and questioning their safety. They said supportive messages helped counter the abuse and used their experience to explain why Pride remains important, particularly ahead of Wigan Pride, supported by Wigan Council, on August 8.

Avoncliffe Properties Ltd has applied to convert the long-vacant Lever Arms pub in Darcy Lever, Bolton, into a café and restaurant. The proposal involves internal alterations, including restaurant seating, kitchen facilities and reception areas, while retaining the existing building and access arrangements. The developer says the café would generate less noise than the former pub and support local community use. Bolton Council will decide the application after consulting nearby residents.

Abbey Properties has applied to Wigan Council for certificates of lawful development covering four terraced houses on St John Street, Pemberton, which have operated as small HMOs since 2019 and could accommodate up to 20 people. The conversions initially fell within permitted development rules, but Wigan’s borough-wide Article 4 direction introduced in August 2025 removed those rights for small HMOs in the area. The applicant says the properties were inspected, upgraded in line with council recommendations and continuously occupied under the previous rules. Councillors Gemma Painter and Lee Moffitt have objected, with Painter questioning the use of four adjacent properties and the lack of a mandatory HMO licence despite periods of five-person occupancy. Wigan Council is expected to decide the application in the coming weeks.

Wigan Council’s planning committee is due to decide whether to grant retrospective permission for a timber shepherd’s hut holiday let, gazebo, hot tub and associated landscaping at Belle Vue in Lowton. The site lies within the green belt and about 300 metres from Pennington Flash Nature Reserve. Supporters say the small-scale accommodation benefits tourism and the local economy, while objectors cite inappropriate green belt development, the undermining of the planning process, privacy concerns, visitor activity and noise. Council officers recommend approval, judging the development’s green belt impact to be minimal because of its limited footprint, modest scale and screened location.

Preliminary work on a new Golborne railway station is due to begin on August 1, marking the first step toward restoring rail links to the town after more than 60 years. The £32 million project, funded through locally devolved government funding, has planning approval from Wigan Council and is being designed by Golborne-based engineering firm Murphy. The two-platform station on the West Coast Main Line is expected to provide an hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, subject to government approval, potentially cutting journeys to Manchester city centre by up to 30 minutes. The scheme also includes improvements to the town-centre car park and surrounding area.

Ladybridge Surgery in Bolton will leave its current Broadgate premises by November 30, 2026, after Bolton Community Practice was notified that its tenancy would end. The practice, which serves around 4,500 patients, says the building is no longer suitable for long-term healthcare because of structural and other ongoing problems, but it remains open and is seeking alternative premises nearby with NHS Greater Manchester. Local councillor Andy Morgan expressed disappointment and said residents need certainty that GP services will continue locally with minimal disruption.

Henighans Eat and Drink, a former pub and live music venue on Bury Road in Breightmet, is proposed for conversion and extension into 10 self-contained one-bedroom flats. Applicant Sabana Ally argues that the closed premises are no longer a viable community facility and that redevelopment would provide housing in a sustainable urban location. The plans include dormers, rooflights, replacement windows and alterations to the rear extension, but parking provision would be below typical standards. Bolton planners are expected to decide on the application in the coming weeks.

Together Homes Ltd has applied to convert a Victorian terraced family home on Brownlow Road, Horwich, into a six-bedroom HMO. Each room would have a private en-suite, with residents sharing a kitchen and living area, while the property would also provide a rear garden, refuse storage and cycle parking. The developer says refurbishment has modernised the property and that the change of use would preserve the area’s established character without altering the building’s footprint or height. Bolton Council is expected to decide the application in the coming weeks.

St Edmund’s Roman Catholic Church in Bolton, which has served worshippers since 1861 and was especially important to the town’s Ukrainian community, is due to be demolished from October 4, 2026. The Diocese of Salford says the church, parish hall and presbytery are no longer in use, are in disrepair and cannot be viably reopened. The site is expected to be levelled, top-soiled and seeded while the diocese considers its future development or disposal.

Wigan Council leader Nazia Rehman said councillors across the political spectrum fear for their personal safety because of threatening and abusive behaviour. Leaders of Labour, Reform UK and the Community Independent Alliance issued a joint condemnation of abuse, harassment and violence against elected representatives, council staff, volunteers and public-service workers. Rehman said a review of security at council meetings had been completed, with new arrangements in place, and urged councillors to hold surgeries in council buildings where possible and follow appointment protocols.

Logistics firm Whistl has begun round-the-clock operations at unit 2 of the controversial Astley Business Park in Tyldesley after receiving an interim licence for heavy goods vehicle movements. The licence permits up to 50 overnight HGV movements, while a full application covering 60 vehicles and 95 trailers remains under consideration. Residents and the Astley Warehouse Action Group have raised objections over noise, sleep disturbance, air quality, vibration, lighting, traffic safety and flooding, with about 250 representations reportedly submitted. Whistl says it is consulting residents and has introduced measures including noise signs and plans to obscure windows facing nearby homes. The Traffic Commissioner may hold a public inquiry before making a final decision.