AT the Westhoughton with Chew Moor Area Forum held on March 2, 2012, I brought up the proposal to build a residential care home on the Red Lion car park and change of use from public house (The Red Lion) to annex (class2) by Woodlands Care Group and Seddon Construction Ltd.

Cllr David Chadwick (Chair) confirmed there were two councillors present, including himself, on the planning committee, who would oppose any plan to see the Red Lion demolished.

Part of the submitted application stated that early occupation of the care home was required to meet funding requirements to create a revenue stream, providing further development of the site, i.e. the Red Lion itself. As far as it was possible to see, during the building of the home, the Red Lion was not made watertight with water ingress resulting and exacerbating the dilapidation and structural safety of the building.

Also, because the Red Lion was in a conservation area, should the building be demolished, it would have to be replaced with a building of 'suitable quality'. I have heard the facade of the new building, fronting Wigan Road, will be built in a similar image to the Red Lion. However, I am not holding my breath, but if, eventually, that does happen, it will still mean the original fabric of the building has been lost.

I understand that recently a vote was taken on the demolition of the Red Lion and Cllr Chadwick, along with most other Westhoughton Town councillors voted for its demolition.

Westhoughton does not have many historic buildings, most have been demolished during the last half of the 1900s. Hulton Park, The Mortons, The Grange, Grange Cottage, The Empire, etc., and now the Red Lion, dating from the the 1700s and probably before. Because we don't have many left, more should have been done to make sure the Red Lion did not become another casualty.

Badly done Bolton Council, Bolton Planning Department and lastly, Westhoughton town council.

Sandra Williams

Westhoughton