Call for Stoneclough and Ringley treasures to be lit up

It comes after Bolton Council pledged to bid for funding for improved lighting around Victoria Square and Le Mans Crescent.

In response, the authority is now set to be called on to make a similar commitment for another of Bolton’s most historic sites.

Cllr Debbie Newall said: “We at One Kearsley believe that when it comes to our historic monuments, that the 345-year-old Ringley Old Bridge and nearby St Saviour's Clocktower are some of the most significant jewels in the borough’s crown.

“Indeed, the bridge and tower have often featured on the cover-page of Council-produced brochures and magazines extolling the beauty of the borough’s monuments and places of historical interest.”

Ringley Old Bridge and nearby St Saviour's Clocktower are two of the borough's most historic sites (Image: Newquest)

She added: “Just this month, Ringley Old Bridge was the backdrop of the stunning and poignant Remembrance Sunday event that featured on regional news programmes and attracted over 400 people from the three villages of Stoneclough, Prestolee and Ringley.

“The bridge and clocktower also attract many visitors from miles away who come to admire these amazing centuries-old structures.

“Many residents have commented on how wonderful the bridge and tower would look if illuminated especially during the long winter nights.”

Proposals have already been made to improve the lighting in Victoria Square (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Newall says that she intends to call on Bolton Council to agree to provide new illuminations for Ringley Old Bridge and St Saviour’s Clocktower.

In October, council leader Cllr Martyn Cox announced that the authority was planning to bid for several hundred thousand pounds worth of funding from the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund to improve the lighting around Victoria Square and Le Mans Crescent.

The Shared Prosperity Fund is money allocated by the government to councils to use to make improvements in their areas.

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But Cllr Cox also said at the time that this would come amid wider efforts to improve lighting across the borough.

Cllr Newall and her party colleague Cllr Paul Heslop plan to make the case to Bolton Council for the historic sites in Kearsley to be included in these plans.

She will put her question forward to be debated at a full council meeting on Wednesday November 30.