Members of the public have been given the chance to influence the future of town centres in the borough. Kit Vickery found out what people think of the big plans for Little Lever.

Residents have the chance to attend a drop-in event to have their say on the future of Little Lever’s town centre.

The consultations follow similar sessions for the people of Horwich last week, with Westhoughton Library hosting two sessions next week.

Cllrs Sean Hornby and Rees Gibbon were at Wednesday’s session, and were told that the consultation was the “highest attended so far” with more than 100 people sharing their views.

Cllr Hornby said: “People were very positive about some aspects of the plan – there was a strong feeling against moving the war memorial, it should stay where it is at the library.

“People were dead set against the plan to demolish parts of the precinct to make new shops and four storey apartments. Whilst we would not say no to flats about shops they shouldn’t be any higher than one storey, the same height of the terraced houses across the road.

“There’s also a worry about parking, BDP have said the flats would only be rented to people without cars but I’ve heard that so many times at planning meetings and then we’ve had a problem with parking.

“People welcomed the fact that this money is going to be spend, it has been a forgotten area for many many years.

“Between this, the new library, and a £4.3m project for older people at the former Lever Gardens site, we will have had £14m put into the area

The current draft of the masterplan aims to focus future development on Market Street, providing a better pedestrian link between Tesco and the indoor market.

Four themes have been identified for the future of the Little Lever area, focusing on shopping, being family-friendly, night-time visiting, and providing an attractive place to live.

To achieve this, seven key development proposals (KDPs) have been put forward for consideration.

The first identifies the existing precinct as “unattractive and underused”, stating that a redevelopment of the site to create shops and cafes at street level with apartments above would transform impressions of the town.

Proposals for a new town square between the new library and health centre building and the redeveloped precinct are the focus of the second KDP.

Planners have suggested the new square could be used for markets and events, offering much needed car parking when not in use.

The current library site could be repurposed for commercial use once the new library is built, with the garages to the rear becoming a mixed-use development.

As the war memorial is set into the facade of the current library, it would have to be moved to complete this proposal.

Planners have suggested moving the memorial to the Memorial Gardens, adding a cafe or kiosk for people spending time there.

A facelift scheme for shopfronts opposite the precinct on Market Street is hoped to make Little Lever more attractive for residents and visitors, whilst new housing could increase activity and safety in the area.

Land to the west and north of Tesco, next to the Conservative Club, and between High Street and James Street could all be considered for new homes.

Two key gateways into Little Lever could also be improved, with plans to replace the roundabout at the eastern end of Market Street with a junction controlled by traffic lights.

Similar improvements at the junction of Market Street and Church Street are also on the cards.

The consultation will return to Little Lever Library on Saturday from 10-2pm. Feedback will be accepted until February 23.

Visit www.investinbolton.com/littlelever/ for more information