What The Councillor's Think!

The Old Girl Keep's Fighting

Went to Bolton planning meeting on the 10th of November, went through it all again! came out Victorious yet again! Planning was refused, Greater Manchester Police don't like the set up of the shop's because of the narrow alley at the back, can easily hide potential robber's, also a shop like the spar not family owned, would have children hanging round and the staff wouldn't be bothered about moving them on. Parking for said shop's and houses was brought up again, the plan's just do not have enough space's for staff, customer's and resident's.

We have also been granted a tree preservation order on the tree's at the back of the bowling green, Hurrah!!!!

We need to push for a judicial review on the bowling green, Horwich as a town was not asked their opinion on whether or not to build on it and they should have been, so write to paper and to Bolton Council and ask for one.

Come on folk's we have them on the back foot, we need to keep up the pressure, put it on your own face book pages get anyone and everyone to say or write something.

Well Done Roy, Barry, Mollie and the rest of the Crew!!!!!

Horwich Council Meeting 20/10/11

The Group went to Horwich Town Council meeting tonight, they don't want this building to go ahead, just as much as we as a town don't want it.They have thrown it out yet again so get some more complaint's in to Bolton Council folk's.

Planning Number. 86927/11

Don't forget to mention the Bowling Green.

New Houses.Do We Need Them?

If you look around any Hamlet,Village,Town,City or even large Farm, you will see unused and partially derelict building's crying out to be re-used. I mean any and all types of building's form pig sty's to palaces, so why can these not be used up first and then if we do need more make sure that were,how,when and why they are being built there is thouroughly investigated and there is no monkey business. It is about time we all started sticking our noses into the polotics of this country or we will end up a police state. We as a nation have fought hard not just in this country but all over the world to bring free speech to the masses,(especially women)we cannot in all honesty let those who have died for us,for this cause,let it go by keeping our mouth's shut.

Little by Little your freedom's are being taken away and we don't even know it, in this small way by saving this building and bowling green you will be fighting back.

Send in your complaints about the new planning application now!

The Number is. 86927/11

Government Incentives £££££££££££££££££

It would seem our Government is giving out incentives for new build, this comprises of the same amount of money charged for council tax in your area being matched by the government for 6 years after building finished. This is per house!!

Just one question I would like to ask.
1. Where is this money coming from?

In these times of austerity,when just about everything is being cut back,where is it coming from, can anyone answer that question.

The Bowling Green

It would seem that SRH think that we have forgotten about the Bowling Green but we have not. There should have been a consultation with the people of Horwich about using the Greenwood Bowling Green for building on to give them a chance to air their opinion. It would seem that because of the massive rejection of the whole building application itself by the people of Horwich, that SRH don't want to do a consultation because this would get a negative response also. This would certainly have a detremental effect to there building strategy. We have to put in some very serious objection's yet again to put a stop to this Demolition and New Build. The bowling Green must feature as well as the Greenwood building itself, no stone must be left unturned......

What Roy Want's To Say

These are the word's which we as a group would like put out into the public domain but we get stopped at every turn. One does wonder why?

Free Speech!!!!!

It would seem that free speech is not quite the birth right of the british public it once was. Roy our inimitable front Man has been on no less than 6 radio programmes,(SRH properties have been asked but declined) he has been told not to say certain thing's about the company,because they are not represented.Surely by declining the invitation to be heard, we as the Greenwood Action Group who are not hiding behind closed door's has every right to put forward the fact's of the case and everything that is out in the open about this company,which has been said in planning meeting's and at local level in Horwich Council meeting's.

Anyone at all has the right to sit in on these meeting's so that anything which is said is public knowledge, but obviously not on the BBC. Shhhhhh!!!! I didn't say that OK****

The Radio Man

Roy our resident Super Hero is going to be on Radio Manchester Tuesday 18/10/11 at 10am. Let's all tune in then ring up in support. OK! people.

New Application

A new application has been tendered, the difference being the front of the shop's has an apex frontage. Still going to look terrible. As for everything else on the plan's nothing is any different, still 12 houses we don't need or want. Dread to think what will happen with the drain's if they go ahead. POOH!!!!

Holey Window's

Since we have been given a whole new frontage to the Greenwood( huge 8' tall hoarding, completely blank ) It seem's that someone has been using the side window's for catapult pratice. It is also very odd how every hole in the window's is very close to the nesting sites of the House Martin's. Is this what you would call the green approach to demolition, taking bit's away so small that no one even notice's the building has disappeared!!!!!!!!

Roy's Formal Complaint

This Formal Complaint was sent on the 01/09/11 To Sean Harris, Chief Execitive of Bolton Town Council.

Let's hope it carries some weight.

Roy's Speech

This is Roy Greenhalgh's speech to the Planning Committee on the 25th August.

Sorry About The Wait!

Hi all, Recently got back from Holiday, here are a few letter's and item's that may be of interest

18th August 2011 Planning Meeting

The planning Committee sat today and deferred the demolition and planning permission. The reason given was to allow officers to compile reports with regards to the Heritage aspects and if they believe it reasonable to use Article4(1) Direction. This Article can be used to stop any demolition or building being under taken. The committee will debate this on Thursday 25th August. If any one has any more information about The Greenwood History please e-mail it to greenroy1111@yahoo.com Just need a bit extra something to put forward before meeting. Thank's to everyone so far.

Site Visit Picture and Letters

This is the site visit, the day before the planning committee meeting, let's keep our fingers crossed for good new's.

Pictures of Folsana Protest

These are picture's of The Greenwood Six!!!! We had a police escort just in case we had our protest hi-jacked. Two police in an un-marked car and two on bycycles, we are certainly ruffling feathers somewhere. Planning committee site visit on 17/08/11 let's see what happens.

Just a Few Letters and Bolton News write up.

The Un-Edited Version

591 Chorley New Road

Horwich

Bolton

BL6 6LA

06/08/11

THE CARBUNCLE

Good People of Horwich. You have all seen it. We have protested because of this. You can say if you want this 'CARBUNCLE' in the photo5/8/11, or a Magnificent Piece of History, The Greenwood Arms. It has withstood two world wars, a depression and refreshed the worker's of the now defunct loco work's(built at the same time),victoria mill(gone) and the disappearing Hawker Siddley(british aerospace virtually demolished), nowt but a memory. If you don't object in your thousand's about losing your Heritage. To Helen Williams, Bolton Town Hall, Town Planning, Planning Application No 86341/11. No more shop's, offices or houses. 4.000 houses already planned. This is a Pub not a bar. You go in a stranger you come out a neighbour. You go in alone someone be-friends you. You the Townsfolk of Horwich, hold The Greenwood Arms and Bowling Green's past,present and future in your hand's. The pen is mightier than the sword.

Yours Sincerely

Mrs.A.A.Mason (G.A.G)

History re-built?

When Poland and Dresden were decimated in the second world war, the government's of the time found old pictures,archives,plan's and document's going back 300 year's. Why? Their history and heritage mean a lot to them as a society so they wanted to re-build their countries back to how they were before the war, and this is what they did. This is one Magnificent Building in one Town it must be saved for future generation's to gaze upon, even if it has a change of use to luxury apartment's with the bowling green left for public use. These will sell because of the originality of the surroundings'. Not many people can boast having the permissible use of a bowling green, near their back garden's. Nice or what?

Is That Your Bowling Green?

The Fence And Skip Show. S.R.H Style......

DON'T FENCE ME IN!!!!!!!!

We can't let them do this. S.R.H put up a fence but we must carry on. We have to make them take the fence down and leave the Greenwood Arms UP!!!

THE SKIP IS FILLING!!!!!!

Keep writing in to the planning control, Bolton Town Hall. Plan app No 86341/11. We must stop them filling anymore skips.  We can do it. Their is strength in numbers. Try! Try! Try!!!

The Fence Wagon!!!!!!!

We watched this little baby pull up Thursday morning and off load it's hideous fencing. I wonder how Ross and Denise feel in their enforced prison. Not quite your Beverly Hills Gated Community. It seem's it is legal for S.R.H Developments to start gutting the insides, absolutely criminal. Does this mean they already know the out come of the planning committee?

Aerial Photo

This is a perfect Photo to make our point. All the building's in this picture look great, what would that great carbuncle of a disaster of shop's look like. I can see you all shaking your head's. We will keep going, the planning meeting is on 18th August from 2pm at Bolton Town Hall please attend if you can. Anyone can attend.

Protest no 3

We had our 3rd protest on the 31st July, the Iron man was also on that day so we were able to give out quite a few leaflet's. The atmosphere was jovial and our banner protest was peaceful. We still need as many people as possible to object, Planning Application 86341/11  Helen Williams  Bolton Town Hall, BL1 1RU. We have to make the planning committee listen, just keep badgering them about losing our heritage to corperate vandalism.
We need to show these people that democracy is alive and kicking in Horwich, believe me I don't think MI6 will be that interested in us  So please tell everybody you know anywhere to object.  e-mail  helen.williams@bolton.gov.uk
 We are now on you tube, so go view our interview with BBC Radio Manchester. Our Super Brilliant Tech Team Helen put us on it. She is just a bit of a Genius. Roy Greenhalgh our Chief Orater (speaker) was also just a bit fantastic in the interview and put our objection's across extremely well.

If anyone know's any other radio or newspaper people ask them to get in touch either on facebook or e-mail  a.a.mason0303@gmail.com . If you have friend's or relatives abroad let them know also, the more of us to object the better. Power in numbers. We need a lot of Winston Churchill Gut's and Determination  Let's do it Folk's.

Greenwood Action Group BBC Radio Manchester Interview

The Greenwood Arms Pub - Horwich Bolton - Save the Greenwood

The Funny Stuff

I forgot to put this in but here is a bit of Irony for you. 25th july in the morning  Horwich in Bloom judges came and took photo's of Greenwood, 25th July in the afternoon Owner boarded it up. That's Life!  We will keep on fighting O.K. folk's.
Protest 1pm to 3pm Sunday 31st July. See you there.

No 2 Protest

Look at this Smart Bunch of Protestors. On Spa Road Bolton. Were Sedgwicks have their offices, No 25. Just 6 of us and we handed out 40 Leaflet's. We are protesting again on the 31/07/2011 outside and around The Greenwood Arms so come on down for a peaceful organised banner protest, also can you please keep sending in your objections. Planning Application no  83461/11  to Helen Williams Planning Department, 3rd Floor, Bolton Town Hall. BL1 1RU.  We must keep up the pressure, remember slowly, slowly, catch a monkey.  We have facebook link's in Australia. So G'Day cobbers throw a prawn on the barbie for us.  We have 264 Signatures on our Petition. Well done guy's keep on spreading the word.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenwood-Action-Group/124695514287600  I know it's a bit long but this is Face book page, take a look.

The Enigmatic Protestors

We would like to give a great Big Thank you to you all. Now we have got a some press coverage we might stop this, we really need more objection's about the planning permission. The application number is 86341/11 The demolition order is this one  86472/11 Send your objection's to Helen Williams  Bolton Town Council, Planning Department.  We have to get people writing in objection's as to why our Heritage should not keep being demolished. The more we can get the stronger our argument will be. Absolutely anyone in the world can send in an objection, yes I do mean the world. E-mail helen.williams@bolton.gov.uk  She is the principal development officer (planning control) If every body just write even a short letter they will all add up. Come on people. It was people power that stopped Murdoch. An online petition with 100,000 signatures was presented to parliament. So it can be done, so let's do this folk's.

The Monday Evening Protest

We would like to say a Big Thank You to everyone who turned up to our Protest, it went down really well. No one caused any problem's whilst  The Greenwood Action Group were there.  The same sort of behavior for the next protest would be greatly appreciated, we do not want to give the owner any reason for calling in the police, this will seriously DAMAGE any good work already done. If we don't play by the rules we will get nowhere. So please if you attend please do so with good intention's.

The Protest

Just a little bit of new's. Should have been earlier. We are having a protest on the 25th july at 5pm. Come on down and bring a friend.The more we get, the stronger the message will be.

The Bowling Green

The developers want to use the Bowling Green for houses, 5 semi detatched and 2 detatched, 4 bed each, with parking for 24 cars. this will be another asset to Horwich lost and unreplaceable because once a green space is lost it is very hard to find somewhere new for it. You may think that Crown Green Bowling is a sport for old people but I can tell you it is  very popular amongst the younger generation, my daughter is in 2 team's. One of those being The Lancashire Youth Team.

There is no need for any more houses in these small areas as it makes it looked cramped and over built, the traffic on Chorley New Road is a nightmare at the best of times and to put even more on would be madness.

There are 3 school's in very close proximity to the Greenwood Arms and Bowling Green which makes it dangerous now, put more car's into that equation and it would be even worse. As it is in a morning and early evening it can take anything up to 3 or 4 minutes to get onto the road out of Derby Street, which is the un-adopted road the developers want to use as access. The people who live in and around this area do not want the added pressure of all the extra car's, not to mention extra noise of the car's and so far unknown quantity of people the houses will bring.

It was a sad day when the developers SRH properties bought the Greenwood Arms and Bowling Green, because they stopped 3 Bowling Team's from using the Bowling Green even when they said they would maintain it. Can't really say it but we all know why!!!!

Mr Sedgewick who represents the developers should have a talk to these people and see if they won't have a re-think on keeping the Greenwood Arms and Bowling Green as it is and bringing it back to life. The potential is there and it would definitely be a feather in the cap of the developers, as it would show that they can see further than their profit margins. If not that why not try to find a buyer who will keep it as it is. There has to be someone who can see the beauty of the Building and the big asset of the Bowling Green.                          

Sadly this is what the Bowling Green looks like now. It was once an immaculately well kept and well used Bowling Green. I would also like to add that green spaces are supposed to be protected by law under the supervision of Sport England. So e-mail them with your objections and concerns about losing yet another green space and amenity. This government wants Adult's and Children alike to become more active and then they let the big boy's in with their bulldozers and take away the places we could use. Write to them today as it might not be there Tomorrow!


This is what it could look like.

Heritage Building

One of the main reason's for saving the Greenwood Arms is Horwich as a town is sick of losing it's Historical Heritage to the faceless unaccountable developers. All of England is in the same boat and we must do something about it now. Our Heritage is going to be wiped out and all we will be left with is a picture in a history book of what our Historical Architecture used to look like. Do we want this NO! we DO NOT!

PROTEST OUTSIDE THE GREENWOOD ARMS 25TH JULY AT 5PM. PLEASE PLEASE ATTEND AND BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU. WE NEED ALL THE SUPPORT WE CAN GET BUT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW. WHICH YOU KNOW ALREADY.

Demolition Stay of Execution

The fact that the Greenwood  has nesting House Martins,you cannot knowingly damage,remove or demolish their nest's until they have migrated, has I think given us a bit of breathing space because I
have just got back from Bolton Planning Committee, and SRH property developers have to give prior notice for Demolition,which take's up to 8 weeks. Also the owners have said they are going to close the Greenwood Arms on 31st July. Another tac tic for saying that the  business is not viable and the site is ripe for development.

Have heard Thwaites and Wetherspoons are looking for pub's so if anyone wants e-mail feel free to do so. It is an impressive Victorian building on a prime main road site close to Reebok and Motorway, plenty of parking space, also a very hard working and very lovely Lanlady Denise.

Planning Application

This is my first go at Blogging, so here is some info that should have gone on first. The planning application number for the building is 86341/11 and can be found at www.bolton.gov.uk/planapps  This shows what they want to build. A bank of 5 industrial style shops on the site were Greenwood is now and 5 semi-detatched and 2 detatched all 4 bed houses which would be on the Bowling Green. Access would be on Derby Street, an unadopted road at the side of the Greenwood.

The Second Bombshell was when we heard that The Greenwood Arms was going to be demolished on or around the 27/07/11. This was even before the council planning committee had even had a meeting about the planning application, but there is now going to be a meeting about the demolition issue on the 21/07/11 at Bolton Town Planning. Planning Application 86472/11 if you want to object to Bolton Concil, Bolton Town Hall,Bolton BL1 1RU.

During all this bombing we found out that the renowned bowling green(Lancashire Matches have been played on it),is a protected green space and is in a country wide survey done by Sport England in 2007. In this survey it was deemed to be good, now after no care or attention it look's like this. Not unredeemable but it will take a lot of work and plenty of T.L.C.

Also on a very enviromental note there are House Martins nesting in the  eves of The Greenwood Arms and have done so for many years. Supposedly protected until all the chicks have flown?

The first bombshell...

Early in June we received notice that the Greenwood Arms and its renowned bowling green were going to be demolished and replaced by shops and houses.

The Greenwood Arms is a Victorian heritage building that I have lived adjacent to and gazed upon for the last 28 years. In our opinion, this local landmark is a more appropriate building than the one proposed to take its place...

The proposed unnecessary shops