Bolton Council backed a plan for a Farnworth Super Health Centre after a petition in support of the health hub attracted more than 3000 signatures.

The petition, organised by resident Pauline Owen, is one of first of its type to pass 2500 signatures and therefore leads to a debate at the town hall.

On Wednesday, ahead of this debate, Ms Owen addressed the council on the need for a Farnworth Super Health Centre with a range of services in a central location.

A resident of the town for some 75 years, she suggested a plan for the health hub has been in the pipeline since 2010, but has fallen by the wayside.

Ms Owen said: "Whilst collecting the signatures for the petition, we were told a lot of bad experiences of travelling to health centres all over the north of the borough, with only one in the south of the borough. 

"Why should we have to travel to the other side of the borough to one of these health centres in 2022? 

"The fact Farnworth, Kearsley and its villages have to struggle this way in this day and age is barbaric. 

"Everyone in this borough should be equal regarding health and wellbeing."

Ms Owen was praised by councillors across the political spectrum, not least by council leader Cllr Martyn Cox and opposition leader Cllr Nicholas Peel.

Although councillors were split on whether to send the idea to a single-party cabinet committee or to a cross-party scrutiny committee, all were agreed on their support for a Farnworth Super Health Centre.

The council cannot create the health hub on its own, but it can work with GM Integrated Care Partnership to convince commissioners of the need for it.

Cllr Susan Baines, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said there was 'a bit of light at the end of the tunnel'.

She said: "The council are engaging with the GM Integrated Care Partnership and are working to make this happen.

"I feel I can offer a bit of light at the end of the tunnel this evening, because I have been told that this is absolutely being looked at very seriously indeed."