THE results of a public consultation into the possible creation of an Atherton Town Council have been revealed.

A governance review closed in October and the results were announced on Tuesday, showing that 77.1 per cent of people are in favour of an Atherton Town Council, although only 0.6 per cent of the electorate from across the borough voted.

Wigan Council’s cabinet will meet at 3pm on Thursday, December 12 in the council chamber to decide whether to create the town council or not.

Clr Norman Bradbury, the independent representative for Atherton, said: “The overwhelming majority of residents of Atherton who voted want their own town council.

“The people have spoken, but will the ruling Labour Group on Wigan Council listen?”

The proposed plan would include Atherton, parts of Atherleigh and Tyldesley but would raise council tax across the borough to finance it.

Clr Susan Loudon has voiced concerns about the proposal in the past.

She said: “We will now weigh up how many people have voted, and how many people did not, take in to considerations the guidelines of setting up a parish council and the cost to ratepayers of implementing any action.

“It is a very small number of people who have even voiced their opinion. We have to try to reflect the views of all residents and consider in particular how any decision will affect community cohesion.”

Before the cabinet meeting supporters of the petition for an Atherton Town Council will meet in Wigan at 2pm on Standishgate and then go down Library Street to the main entrance of Wigan Town Hall to lobby Cabinet Members before the start of the meeting.

The Wigan Council report states: “Whilst a clear majority of those who formally responded were in favour of creating a parish/town council for Atherton, the large majority of the electors have not expressed themselves in favour for the creation of an additional tier of local government.”

  •  In total, 1,403 votes were counted, of which 655 were from Atherton, 444 from Atherleigh and 61 in Tyldesley.
  •  Across the borough, 0.57 per cent of the electorate voted with 0.44 per cent in favour and 0.13 per cent against the proposal overall.
  •  Of the Atherton electorate, 8.9 per cent voted yes while 0.99 per cent of voters were against the proposal, meaning 90.08 per cent of those who voted were in favour of the plan.
  • In Atherleigh 6.22 per cent voted for the proposal while 2.3 per cent were against it, resulting in 72.97 per cent of the turnout in favour.
  • In Tyldesley 0.65 per cent of the electorate voted for the town council and 0.34 per cent stated their opposition to it, with 65.57 per cent of the turnout supporting the plan.
  • In Golborne and Lowton West, only one person voted in favour of the council, with three others against.
  • In Leigh West and Hindley Green more of the electorate voted against the proposal than for it.