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Page 2 November 2024 AD SALES 01204 478812 No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort 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 2024. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. 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 HORWICH’S former health centre could be knocked down and replaced with flats after the buildingwas put up for sale by the NHS. The guide price for the old clinic on Jones Street values the site at more than £240,000. Property agents Allsop, who are conducting the sale, describe the former health centre and site as having “development potential”. Would-be buyers are being told the site, which has exten- sive car parking, has possible potential for change of use and conversion to residential, subject to consent. The advert offering it for sale says there is “further potential for demolition of the existing building and the WORK is being carried out to explore the feasibility of installing a low car- bon heat network in Bury town centre. Heat networks supply heat from a central source to consumers, via a network of underground pipes. Sometimes described as ‘central heating for cities’, heat networks can cover a large or small area, and avoid the need to have individual boilers or electric heaters in each building. Bury Council has been awarded government funding from the Heat Network Deliv- ery Unit (HNDU) to explore whether such a scheme could work in the town. It has appointed infrastruc- ture consultancy AECOM to produce a technical economic feasibility report and pro- fessional services company Turner and Townsend to sup- port project management and “stakeholder engagement”. In the short term, the work is focused on supplying heat to council offices and other Clinic site earmarked for homes Sale signs: The former clinic on Jones Street (Photo credit Allsop) construction of a block of flats, subject to consents.” It adds: “Local shops and amenities are available within a short walk on Lee Lane, whilst Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park is also within easy reach.” Horwich councillors opposed to the sale and any demolition are now looking at how they can “salvage” the clinic and prevent it being knocked down. David Grant, Horwich councillor and leader of the Horwich and Blackrod First Independents group ,said he was “disappointed” that the site was on the market, add- ing: “We were assured the clinic would still be utilised.” He said he would be work- ing with fellowHorwich coun- cillor Steven Chadwick to see how the building’s future could be assured. And he added: “It is my firm belief that if this was no longer needed it should have been given to the council as a capital receipt to return it to community use.” A BURY food takeaway has been ordered to pay £11,100 after being pros- ecuted for waste offences near its premises. Ballers Kitchen UK Ltd of Walmersley Road, was taken to court under the Envi- ronmental Protection Act 1990 for three Duty of Care breaches committed in Feb- ruary and March 2023. At Wigan Magistrates Court, the company was fined £9,500 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £1,600. Speaking after the case Alan Quinn, Bury Coun- cil’s cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “There is no excuse for waste being dumped in our borough. “It spoils our neighbour- hoods, and costs taxpay- ers money. “We will continue to take action against offenders when- ever we have evidence.” Takeaway’s £11,100 bill for waste offences GREATER Manchester’s pioneering Bee Network is set to introduce its first new bus route later this month. It’s a year since the city region took back control of its bus network, in an initiative that aims to give local com- munities a bigger say in how services are run. Transport chiefs now say that from October 27 a new service will connect Wigan with Middlebrook retail park. The hourly 615 service restores a link to the popular retail park that was lost four years ago. A spokesperson for Trans- port for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said: “Before buses came back under local control, services were provided on a commercial basis by bus com- panies, with operators decid- ing on routes, frequencies, timetables, fares and qual- ity standards. “Franchising has enabled TfGM to review service per- formance in detail and, impor- tantly, respond to ensure they meet the Bee Network’s cus- tomer commitments.” Mayor of Greater Manches- ter, Andy Burnham, said: “The introduction of the first new Bee Network bus service is an important milestone. “Once again, we are prov- ing the benefits of a locally controlled and accountable bus network by deliver- ing improvements for our local communities.” He added: “The only way we can grow the Bee Network, improve services and keep fares low is if more people use it, so I’d encourage every- one to get on-board and enjoy our cleaner, cheaper and more reliable bus service.” Making a Beeline for Middlebrook Powering up a green future large buildings such as Bury Grammar School, Bury Col- lege, Townside Primary Care Centre and the proposed development that makes up the town centre masterplan. In the longer term, the network could supply more buildings in the area and encompass a heat network zone, where all buildings are encouraged to connect. The feasibility report, which will assess the viability of the heat network, will be com- pleted early next year. Alan Quinn, council cabinet member for the environment, climate change and opera- tions, said: “The council has set a target to be carbon neu- tral by 2038. “One area that we need to tackle is the emissions associ- ated with heating our build- ings, which is usually done by using gas. “Gas is a fossil fuel and therefore we need to decar- bonise by moving away from gas heating to electric heat- ing, especially as the national grid decarbonises through using more and more renew- able energy. “One way to decarbonise a lot of buildings in one go is to introduce a low carbon heat network. “This proposed heat net- work in the town centre will be using a low carbon source such as a water source heat pump, sewer source heat pump or an air source heat pump. This would remove the need to install an individual heat pump to every building. “This will be a huge step in the right direction for the council, and will also help other partners in the town centre with their own journeys to reduce carbon emissions.” A LIFESAVING defibril- lator has been installed in the Wellbeing Hub at Bol- ton Wanderers’ stadium in Middlebrook. It stands as an honour to Wanderers’ fan Iain Purslow who died after suffering a sus- pected cardiac arrest during a game at the ground. Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers in the Commu- nity welcomed supporters and members of Iain’s family to the unveiling of the defibrillator. In a statement the club said: Iain’s family, alongside fans and supporters, have worked tirelessly to ensure that anyone passing through our stadium have access to lifesaving facilities. “The installation of the defi- brillator further strengthens both Bolton Wanderers’ and Bolton Wanderers in the Community’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community.” Phil Mason, Bolton Wan- derers in the Community chief executive and Wander- ers’ chief operating officer, along with club chairman Sharon Brittan, joined the family, staff and supporters in the unveiling of the defi- brillator before the game against Reading. Phil said: “Following the tragic death of Iain Purslow earlier this year, we are grateful to his family who have come together to raise awareness of the importance of heart health. “The ongoing support of res- idents, supporters and Iain’s family has been instrumental in funding the installation of this defibrillator in our Well- being Hub, ensuring lifesaving support to fans, participants and residents of Bolton. “It was an honour to wel- come the family and pay trib- ute to Iain, who will be forever a Wanderer.” Unveiling: The ceremony marking the installation of the defibrillator (Photo credit: BWFC) A lifesaver in honour of Iain TO ADVERTISE IN THE INDEPENDENT CONTACT OUR TEAM ON 01204 478812