Bolton: The Cotton Tree locals rally round community pub

The Cotton Tree in School Hill has served its area for decades, being described as a "true community pub" by its regulars. 

Now, plans have been submitted to Bolton Council to turn the pub into a children's nursery, with it having been listed for sale. 

Locals, however, do not want to lose their pub and are critical of the idea of turning it into a nursery, citing other nurseries which have been closed in the area in recent years. 

Steven Bates said: "I have been coming here for 48 years. It is a true community pub. 

Regulars at the pub. L-R: Steven Bates, Kenneth Fairhurst, Jay Dickinson, Hayley Lawson and Terry Duker (Image: Newsquest)

"We try and help everybody we can. To change this property into a nursery when they have closed three down in this vicinity is beyond me. 

"The former mayor came here three weeks ago and said that this kind of pub is what we need more of. 

"If I have one too many they always walk me home. That is as it should be, a community together. If it shuts down, where else will we go?"

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Jay Dickinson said: "It's been up for sale for years. We just don't know why a nursery, when there is another one nearby which was closed but is still standing, with a playground. 

"Why move it here?" 

The Cotton Tree's lounge room (Image: Newsquest)

Locals said that they only found out about the plans for the nursery around a "couple of weeks ago", due to a planning notice having been sent to people in the area. 

Hayley Lawson said: "This pub opens up on Christmas all day for people with no families, they put a dinner on for everybody. 

"There is a lot of crime in the area and a lot of drugs. People are calling the police all the time, so why would you put another nursery here. 

"But you never get the police in here, we never have trouble because the landlord and lady don't let it happen." 

Terry Duker added: "People bring their children here." 

Terry is a war veteran, having fought in Northern Ireland. He said: "I have PTSD from the war, I get bad flashbacks and have had them in the pub before. 

Function room at the pub (Image: Newsquest)

"But they look after me. It is a safe area that you can come to and talk to people. It is important that people understand it, it is a community, not just a pub. 

"Every bit of furniture in my flat came from the people in this pub." 

Regulars say it is not just under the current management that the Cotton Tree has been a pub for the community. 

Kenneth Fairhurst said: "Paula, the previous landlady, she used to look after people. 

"The people from a local disabled home would come and she would let them use the function room upstairs." 

Management says that any planned events and parties at the pub will still go ahead.