WHEN planners look at improving an area, it seems that sometimes there is an important group of people whose interests are not always considered. And on Halliwell Road, Bolton, the small shopkeepers are feeling neglected.

Money to upgrade properties there has certainly improved the overall look of the area, but work on altering the road - especially the parking restrictions - have left individuals fuming.

They have made their views clear in the BEN's news columns and letters pages, and we sincerely hope that Bolton Council takes notice of them, and acts accordingly.

Small businesses are still the lifeblood of many of our communities today. They provide friendly, well-known faces for many people who cannot afford, cannot manage or simply do not wish to go to bigger shopping complexes.

They may not always be the cheapest, but they can offer the kind of choice and personal service that is fast disappearing. Shopkeepers tend to know their "regulars", are usually aware of what is happening in the area, and have time for more than a perfunctory greeting.

Councils are always quick to protect the interests of major developers with large amounts of money to invest in a town. There is nothing wrong with this, but local shopkeepers also deserve this kind of attention. It's high time that, in Bolton at least, they got it.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.