Horwich Advertiser Issue 631

Page 2 January 2026 AD SALES 01204 478812 No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every e!ort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. Tel. 01204 478812 EDITOR Ged Henderson: ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com ADVERTISING Jayne Meadowcroft: 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk CLASSIFIEDS Teresa Bond: 01204 478812 teresa@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT US Potential: Westhoughton Town Hall could become a health centre “This issue is likely to worsen given the proposed development in the area, including approximately 1,450 new homes at Lee Hall, a potential 1,036 additional homes should the Hulton Park develop- ment proceed and a fur- ther 550 homes planned at Gibfield in the neigh- bouring constituency.” The centre he is calling for would ideally include a minor injuries unit capa- ble of treating simple fractures and sever cuts, alongside a walk-in GP consultation service. The MP says the Win- gates area would be a “highly suitable” site, allowing the facility to serve the communities of Westhoughton, Black- rod, Horwich and the wider area. His letter adds: “Given the increasing traffic con- gestion across the constit- uency and the distance to Bolton Hospital, such a facility would provide much-needed local access to urgent care. “Furthermore, Black- rod currently has only one GP surgery and limited public transport links, making access to healthcare particu- larly challenging.” Across Westhoughton, Blackrod and Horwich there are currently eight GP surgeries, including satellite sites, serving a combined pop- ulation of approximately 51,569 people. Mr Brickell said: “Horwich now has a fantastic Health Hub, Westhoughton deserves ● Cont frompage one A&E care unit call PEOPLE across the borough of Bolton have now had their say on proposals to increase council tax by 4.99 per cent. A consultation on the hike in the yearly bill has now closed. The proposed rise is not new and was included in budget pro- posals announced and consulted on last Decem- ber and January. The spending plans were agreed by the coun- cil in February and cover to the end of the 2027 financial year. However, the council is legally required to set council tax charges and consult on its ‘Best Value Duty’ every year, meaning that people had a second opportunity to voice their views. In a stat ement announcing the consul- tation, which ended on January 12, the council said: “Last year, bet- ter-than-expected fund- ing from the central government allowed for a reduction in the council’s savings target. IN BRIEF CHORLEY Council has approved a new Climate Change Strategy that will run until 2030. It sets out a clear framework for reducing carbon emissions, protecting the environment and supporting people and businesses to adapt to the challenges of climate change. On the monument trail HORWICH Heritage has worked with United Utilities to produce the Rivington Reservoir Monument Trail Leaflet. The leaflet provides a guided trail to see the six res- ervoir and Navvy monuments positioned around the Upper Rivington Reservoir. The trail is a little over two-miles and will take around two and a half hours to complete. The free leaflet, funded and printed by United Utilities. with much of the artwork supplied by Horwich Heritage. is now available from the heritage centre on Beaumont Road and the Rivington informa- tion and visitors centre on Rivington Lane. similar. In addition, I would like to see a facility where residents from both towns can receive basic A&E care in Westhoughton.” He added that a survey he carried out on health- care made it clear that Westhoughton needed more facilities. And he said: “This is the first step in getting this on the agenda.” The new Neighbour- hood Health Centres proposed by the govern- ment will deliver inte- grated care closer to people’s homes and act as community ‘one-stop shops’ for diagnostics, mental health, rehabilita- tion, and nursing services. The centres will be open at evenings and weekends and the government says they will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services right on people’s doorsteps – stopping them from having to make lengthy trips to hospitals. Mr Brickell said: “I understand that dis- cussions are currently taking place between Bolton Council and the Integrated Care Board regarding the poten- tial location of such a hub in Westhoughton Town Hall.” A £3.9million resto- ration project is cur- rently underway at the town hall. Council tax payers face 4.99 per cent bill hike But it still had to find cuts of £7.8million over two years. “Although the govern- ment’s Fair Funding Review changes how funding is allocated to councils this year, Bolton will continue to receive the Recovery Grant of £9.2m in each of the next three years. “The additional fund- ing is helping to cover the rapidly rising costs of social care for both children and adults.” The council says its plans factor in the coun- cil tax rise and without it cuts to services would have to be considered. A spokesperson for the local authority added: “Bolton Council is in a reasonably robust finan- cial position with estab- lished plans to deliver efficiencies, but follow- ing years of austerity, cuts and inflation, we face the challenge of ris- ing demand for services that are getting costlier to provide. “Our absolute focus is on protecting vital services for the people of Bolton while meeting our legal responsibil- ity to deliver a bal- anced budget.” POLICE have appealed for witnesses after three teen- agers and a man in his 50s died in a head-on collision between a car and a taxi in Bolton. Five passengers were also injured in the two-vehicle crash which happened in the early hours of Sunday January 11 on Wigan Road. The taxi driver was in a dark Citroen, while the three teenag- ers were travelling in a red Seat. The incident claimed the lives of 54-year-old Masrob Ali, Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar and Farhan Patel, both aged 18 and Mohammed Danyaal,19. In the Citroen, a 29-year- old woman suffered poten- tially life-threatening injuries. A 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man suffered serious injuries and a 29-year-old man has minor injuries. An 18-year-old man, who was a passenger in the Seat, has been treated for minor injuries. Police are appealing for eye- witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage of the moments before and after the tragedy to come forward. Chief Inspector Helen McCormick described it as a “devastating incident.” She added: “This was a particu- larly challenging scene for colleagues in the emergency services and I want to thank the first responders.” Anyone with information can contact Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Inves- tigation Unit (SCIU) on 0161 856 4741, quoting log 111 of 11/01/2025. CANNABIS WORTH £24m SEIZED AS POLICE MAKE FARM RAID Witness call after four die in road horror Discovery: The cannabis uncovered in the farm raid (Photo credit: GMP) a significant volume of illegal drugs. “This seizure marks a major success for our officers – it removes a major source of harm, disrupts criminal net- works and helps make neighbourhoods safer. “Our work demon- strates the ongoing commitment to targeting large-scale drug produc- tion and distribution and is key in safeguarding vulnerable people. “It sends a clear mes- sage that this kind of criminal activity will not be tolerated and our officers will work hard to ensure those responsible POLICE who raided a Blackrod farm uncov- ered cannabis with an estimated street value of £24millon in what is believed to be one of the largest seizures of the illegal drug in the UK. Two tonnes of the class B substance were found in sacks at Leigh Tene- ment Farm during the operation, which was car- ried out by Greater Man- chester Police (GMP) on Friday January 9. Detective Superinten- dent Joe Harrop from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “Our officers uncovered a large-scale and sophis- ticated illegal operation at the location, housing are brought to justice.” Two men from Bol- ton, aged 35 and 27, have been charged with conspiracy to sup- ply cannabis.