ATHERTON'S new £250,000 pound square has officially opened.

The square -- created out of space in front of St John the Baptist Parish Church at one end of Market Street -- will be a meeting place for shoppers and a space for entertainment and activities.

Long standing Atherton residents ex-Mayoress Minnie Clarke, widow of former Mayor, town councillor and Greater Manchester transport boss the late Joe Clarke, and honorary alderman Jack Sumner, a Wigan councillor for 25 years until 1999, jointly launched the new square.

Cllr Brian Strett, cabinet member for the environment on Wigan Council, said: "The square has made a great improvement to the environment of the town centre and to the setting of this fine listed church."

The square has traditional stone paving, new street lights, benches and litter bins.

Part of the Leigh-Bolton Quality Bus Corridor Scheme, the square is the first phase of an improvement programme designed to create a more pedestrian friendly environment, tempt more passengers onto buses and give better access to town centre car parks. The square project was jointly funded by Wigan Council, English Heritage, the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme funded through Landfill Management Ltd and Entrust, and the Atherton Building Communities initiative.