Review of the year 2022: January, February, March

Covering January to March, businesses closed down, transport proved controversial and locals appeared in a sex show

January

January saw Heron Foods close its doors in Bolton Town Centre for good.

Store manager Stephen Bailey - who had worked at Heron Foods for five years, and at the Newport Street store for seven months, said the announcement had come as a shock.

A number of staff relocated to another store.

The nearest store is now Tonge Moor Road after the closure.

SEE: Heron Foods to shut its Bolton town centre store

It was also when crunch talks for the controversial clean air zone paused the plans.

Due to launch in May, plans for the zone had caused a major stir since their conception.

The U-turn came after many voicing their discontent, epitomised by the protest by taxi drivers outside Bolton Town Hall.

SEE ALSO: Clean Air Zone roll-out to be 'paused' after crunch talks

German Donor Kebab also made plans to make its mark in Bolton as plans were unveiled for a drive-thru in the town centre.

The plan was to convert vacant premises on Moor Lane, close to Le Mans Crescent and the town hall, into a restaurant with drive-thru.

The premises, at 38 Moor Lane, had previously been used by local charities.

READ MORE: 'Kebabs Done Right ‘drive-thru’ kebab shop 'coming' to Bolton town centre

February

At the start of the month, a sign made fun of Bolton’s cycling campaign, suggesting people didn’t cycle because of the changes made to the cycle lane in Chorley New Road.

Signs had been installed across the borough, with the words 'Think Active Travel. Why not walk or cycle?'

And somebody comically responded by sticking up their own sign stating: "Probably because we removed the cycle lane".

The original sign was installed as part of the £275,000 Emergency Active Travel Scheme.

SEE: Sign mocks Bolton's campaign to encourage cycling ­

Later on in the month, Bolton’s most expensive neighbourhoods were revealed ­— with houses on some streets going for more than £1m.

This included, Lostock and Ladybridge: £306,000 – up from £260,000 in 2019-20.

- Dunscar and Egerton: £242,000 – up from £205,000

- Bromley Cross and Bradshaw: £235,000 – an increase from £216,000

- Over Hulton: £223,000 – rising from £205,000

- Harwood: £213,000 – up from £188,000

SEE: Bolton's most expensive streets named as houses continue to be 'hot property'

A town centre café just couldn’t catch a break after being broken into four times.

The owners said they were losing sleep and worried the businesses, the Cha Cha Chai cafe and the Cupping Clinic in Marsden Road, would be targeted again.

The break-in happened on February 13, this time targeting the clinic, with burglars smashing a window before ransacking the premises and stealing items.

READ HERE: Bolton Cha Cha Chai cafe and Cupping Clinic burgled fourth time

March

In March, a Bolton estate agent predicted a housing market crash, warning potential homeowners.

Harrisons Estate Agent in Bolton said the rising inflation could reach almost nine per cent by late spring, and with Bolton wages only increasing by three or four percent, household income would fall.

While the housing market remained intact, there were instances of worry throughout the year.

A COUPLE from Bolton appeared in a new  Channel 4 show looking at sex and relationships.

The programme, Open House: The Great Sex Experiment, explores whether relationships would work better if they were not exclusive.

And in the first episode a married couple from Bolton found themselves tackling issues from their past if they were to explore their fantasies.

READ MORE: Bolton couple set to feature on C4's Open House: The Great Sex Experiment

Demolition work started on a luxury housing development

In May 2021, five partially-built mansions were ordered to be bulldozed despite desperate pleas from the homeowners to the planning inspector.

The detached mansions at Grundy Fold Farm, off Chorley New Road, were built up to a third bigger and in different locations than specified on the original plans.

READ MORE:  Grundy Fold Farm : Partially built mansions razed to the ground

In the same month, discount supermarket Aldi had been given a fresh new look.

The Trinity Street store new look was part of Aldi’s £600m investment into further improving its stores and services across the UK, and is based on feedback from more than 50,000 customers.

As part of the refurb, more space has been provided to stocking British meat and fish, as well as popular Lacura health and beauty products, award winning beers, wines and spirits, Mamia babycare products.

SEE HERE: Aldi Bolton opens with a look and new jobs

Tomorrow we will be looking back at the events in April, May and June both in the paper and online.

If you have a story or an issue you would like The Bolton News to look into please email newsdesk@theboltonnews.co.uk