BOLTON'S plans for helping planet Earth will be unveiled next week at the start of Environment Week.

An exhibition on Victoria Square on Friday May 24 and Saturday May 25 will form the centre piece of the week.

On display will be exhibitions from Bolton Environment Forum and its member environmental organisations.

The public will be able to see and comment on the draft proposals of Local Agenda 21, a plan for a more sustainable way of life, drawn up by Bolton Environmental Forum. The plan follows the Rio Earth Summit, where governments from all over the world met to discuss global environmental issues and agreed on action to save the planet.

Draft proposals will stress the need to live a more sustainable way of life, to reduce the amount of waste we produce, reduce pollution, be more energy efficient, reduce our reliance on the use of the car and encourage the 'Greening' of businesses and industry. The public will have opportunities to comment and make suggestions on the plan over the summer before the final document is published at the end of the year.

The exhibition will also re-launch Bolton Council's Environmental Charter, which sets out the Council's commitment to deliver sustainable development in the borough.

Winners of the annual Civic Pride Award, sponsored by Bolton Evening News, for outstanding service and dedication to the local environment will be announced and presented with their prizes by the new Mayor, Cllr Eric Johnson.

The exhibition will be open 10.30am to 5pm Friday May 24 and 10am to 5pm Saturday May 25. Information from the Environment Team on 371111.

"If we are to make a meaningful contribution at a local level to improving the environment and safeguarding it for future generations then we must work together with the community," said Cllr Jack Foster, Chairman of the Planning and Environment Committee.

"By working through the Forum we can all raise awareness to the problems, change attitudes and behaviour and encourage positive action. On behalf of the Forum I would like to thank all the people who have given their free time over the past 22 months to put together these proposals."

The Forum was formed in 1994 as a means of bringing together environmental organisations and experts to focus on local environmental issues. It has been working on issues such as the built and natural environment, economy and work, energy, transport, waste, pollution and health.

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