A SCHEME involving 85 traffic-calming projects in the Church Road area of Farnworth should reduce the number of accidents involving children, Bolton Council said today.

The measures, to slow down the speed of cars on 50 roads in the town, could be installed soon, planners say.

Proposals have been put forward to reduce the speed limit on some roads from 30mph to 20mph.

Mather Street, Darley Street, Rawson Street, High Stile Street and Church Street are some of the roads included in the blueprints.

Residents are being asked for their views on the scheme which would mainly affect side roads in what would be the biggest traffic calming scheme ever mounted in an area of the Bolton borough.

Planners have suggested the scheme after homeowners in the Church Road area complained that their small streets had become "rat runs" with drivers continually using the back streets to reach some of Farnworth's main roads.

Among the proposed measures are the siting in the area of up to 50 road humps, or sleeping policemen.

Bus friendly "flat top" road humps will allow buses to pass over them more easily.

Red textureflex surfaces are proposed at the junctions of estates were a 20mph is in force.

And junction plateaus could be put in place with large round humps covering an entire junction.

Thirteen-year-old Carla Bate was killed earlier this month in a road collision at the junction of Albert Road and Longcauseway. Her friend Leanne Keegan, also 13, suffered serious head and pelvic injuries.

The traffic calming area is bordered by Market Street, Higher Market Street, Bolton Road, James Street, Clammerclough Road, Bridge Street and Trafford Street.

The plan has won the support of councillors and residents in Farnworth.

Cllr Noel Spencer urged people to give the council their opinions on the proposed measures.

He said: "We've had a spate of accidents in that part of town and something needs to be done." Residents living in the proposed traffic calming have been sent a map and details of the proposed scheme.

They have to complete a questionnaire and send it back to Bolton Council stating whether they support the scheme.

For more information about the scheme contact 336462.