FARNWORTH has landed a cash windfall to help transform the town.

A quarter of a million pounds will be spent on better parking, leisure facilities, new walkways and environmental improvements.

The North West Development Agency has just approved a grant of £250,864 to Bolton Council to give a number of projects the go ahead.

These are to:

Build a car park for New Bury Community Centre on Lower Street

Improve Darley Street car park;

Pave and add bollards to the passageway between 124 - 126 Market Street;

Landscape and provide a hard standing area for the community, plant trees and put in a system to prevent dog entry to land on Edith Street;

Resurface drive-way leading to the bowling pavilion from Cawdor Avenue;

Create a linear walkway and leisure space on the disused railway line from Highfield Road to Plodder Lane;

And to create public open spaces on a sustainability theme such as recycling and educational play areas at two derelict sites at Magpie Retreat (behind Kwik Fit off Worsley Road) and Gateways (off Westland Avenue).

Bolton Council's Executive Member for Environment Guy Harkin says they are delighted to be able to push ahead with these long-awaited projects.

"There is a wide variety of schemes which will benefit residents and visitors to the town alike."