Bee Network looking ‘very closely’ at Middlebrook link

Bolton Council’s local Bee Network committee met last week for the first time in nearly two years since their first and, until now, only meeting.

It was confirmed that the committee, originally established when the buses were first being franchised, would now be held quarterly.

Nick Fairclough, interim deputy director of buses at TfGM, told councillors they had inherited the bus network from the system of private operators.

Speaking at last Monday’s meeting (February 16), he said: “The way in which that network has developed over a hundred years or more is that routes haven’t been designed with an integrated network in mind.

“In many places, we still see buses competing with each other or competing with the train or Metrolink in other parts of the city region.

“They also don’t properly serve the needs of the modern economy in many places – they don’t adequately serve industrial sites or retail parks that are incredibly important for the economy as we have it today.”

Nick Fairclough speaks at the local Bee Network committee (Image: Bolton Council)

Mr Fairclough noted the success of the already implemented 24-hour bus services, including the 36 between Manchester and Bolton, and the 615 linking Middlebrook and Wigan.

He said: “I think where we are is that we’ve got a really strong in where the priorities are in Bolton, but we’re keen to build on that and keen to work with you to identify those.”

Cllr David Wilkinson said: “I’m glad to see we’re looking at retail parks and industrial areas because that, to say the least, is something that has been a bugbear for 20 odd years.

“People in Westhoughton who want to work at Logistics North have to go by private transport because there’s nothing to link us there.”

He noted several new industrial and housing developments planned near Westhoughton, such as Gibfield Park, and said they would need “really improved links”.

The committee was held in Bolton Town Hall (Image: Bolton Council)

Cllr Sean Fielding said: “To see that Wigan got a connection reinstated to Middlebrook, yet we don’t have our own, and it’s in our borough – I’m sure you can appreciate that that’s incredibly frustrating for members.

“And I support Cllr Wilkinson’s comments around ensuring that we adapt to the amount of development that is proposed to take place, particularly in the west of the borough, as it happens rather than waiting for it to happen and responding to it.”

Mr Fairclough said: “We certainly agree. I think, in terms of Middlebrook and Logistics North, we see two areas that are not currently served as well as they should be.

“Certainly our planning team is looking very closely at both of those areas now and we’re aware of the need to improve connectivity both from a jobs perspective and an access to retail perspective.”

He said that connecting new developments to the bus network early is “something we’d really like to do more of”.

He said: “One of the benefits of local control of the bus network is that we should be able to get in early and be proactive.

“Look at what’s coming down the pipeline in terms of residential, commercial, and industrial development and try to build a market for the bus network – perhaps before everyone is moved in, in a way that wasn’t really possible in the previous commercial market.”