TOWN hall chiefs are hoping that a new bypass for Westhoughton will be the first of many new road links across the borough.

Bolton Council’s cabinet yesterday approved the principle of building a major new road to ease congestion through Westhoughton.

The next stage of the long-awaited project will be to work with the region’s transport bosses to secure funding for the development.

Cllr Cliff Morris, the council’s leader, told the town hall meeting that similar improvements to Bolton’s road network will need to be made elsewhere in the borough.

He said: “We have to be ready for quite a few new roads in the next few years. It is not just Westhoughton, it could be anywhere because the roads are so congested.

“We really need to start building on this one and I hope it will be the first of many.”

The Westhoughton bypass project has been in the works for decades, but was repeatedly taken off the agenda due to a lack of funding.

Cllr Morris added: “I am sorry that it has taken so long, but at least we are doing something about it.”

Councillors raised concerns that the proposed new bypass will not be enough to cope with the thousands of new homes set to be build in the area over the coming years.

Cllr Roger Hayes, Liberal Democrat group leader, said: “I don’t think anybody is going to disagree that this is necessary and that cabinet should approve this.

“But what we are doing is providing for the existing developments we have got in Westhoughton.

“This bypass will trigger additional development and I hope we get some estimate of the number of homes that developers are looking to build in this area. Otherwise we will just be back to the same level of congestion we have now.”

Cllr Nick Peel, executive cabinet member for environmental services, added: “There are many areas across the borough where arguments could be made for this type of investment.”