BUSINESSES in Westhoughton are being invited to join a new trade body to revive the town's ailing centre.

It is hoped the chamber of trade style forum will help business owners to make the town into a successful retail centre to stop the exodus of shoppers who prefer Middlebrook.

Ian Sanderson, proprietor of Hartley's Jewellers, in Market Street, is spearheading the project and says it is vital for the town's shop owners to take advantage of the expected population boost after the latest wave of housing developments.

He said: "At the moment councillors can make decisions without any input from business in Westhoughton and we would like to see that changed. It's time to start working together. We want to make sure that Westhoughton is prosperous and there's no reason it shouldn't be with the thousands of houses that are going up.

"We need to capitalise and increase footfall in the town by looking at issues like car parking and the types of retailers we are seeing in the main shopping area and hopefully find out exactly what the customers want to see."

Westhoughton has been without a chamber of trade since it folded around two years ago.