'Notorious' Broughton Street, Halliwell, ginnel cleaned up

Works have taken place on the area around the back of Leachfield Street and Broughton Street, Halliwell over the last several weeks.

A collaboration of litter pickers, council officials and landlords managed to cut away overgrown trees and bushes, clear away 12 bags of rubbish and fix street lighting.

Cllr Kevin Morris, of Halliwell, said: “This has been an area in our ward that I regularly walk through on my ward walk rounds.

“It had unfortunately become notorious for antisocial behaviour and constant fly tipping.

The ginnel had been notorious for fly tipping (Image: Public)

“Residents had contacted me to request the streetlights to be fixed in the ginnel and for the trees and bushes to be cut back. Also to deal with the litter and fly tip issues and the food and vape debris constantly left by people loitering here in the evenings.

“So I contacted the landlords of Falcon Mill and they very kindly got back to me. They have had all the overgrown branches from the trees, bushes and privets in the ginnel cut back. I would like to thank the owners and staff at the mill for getting onto this work straight away.”

He added: “The footpath has been totally swept and cleared and you can see the footpath again.

“This has made the ginnel much more accessible to walk and cut through.”

A new bin has also been installed (Image: Public)

Cllr Morris says that the streetlights are now working again around the ginnel and that he and his colleagues Cllr Rabiya Jiva and Cllr Safwaan Patel will continue to monitor the area.

He said that he hopes they will soon be able to move on to other areas that people are concerned about.

Cllr Morris said: “I have contacted the street lights department at the council and they have checked all the defunct lights and they are all now working again in the ginnel.

“Liaising and working alongside our volunteer coordinator with Love Bolton Hate Litter we have had a community bin installed near the entrance of the ginnel on Broughton Street which we hope will be used correctly and ease the litter issues we have had here.

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“We have had some residents willing to keep an eye on the newly installed bin and keep an eye on any litter in the area and I will do that also.”

He added: “It is so pleasing to see what can be achieved when people work together and I would like to thank the regular local volunteer litter pickers, Andy Capstick, Bolton North and West Litter pickers, The Halliwell Community Alliance team and others, who give so much of their free time up and come into our ward and make good our streets and green spaces.

“They are all a credit to our town.

“The work, time and effort spent here has transformed this area and I am sure residents will appreciate it. The key now is to look after it and not let it get back to old ways.”