Aspull, New Springs & Whelley Local Councillors

📣 INFORMATION ON 615 SATURDAY SERVICE 🚌

2nd November is the first running of the 615 service on a Saturday.

I know many people are looking forward to using it, and hopefully it will be popular, so we can push for a Sunday service too 🤞.

We’re aware in particular that a lot of younger people may use the Saturday service as lots of parents have told us they’re pleased it will give their teenagers some independence.

❗️Just a couple of important points re the service:

The route round Middlebrook - it is a one way loop round the retail park.

👉 It turns in off de Havilland Way goes to Horwich Parkway, turns at Next and then through the centre of the retail park via Linkway, then goes to Tesco. Here it waits for 2 mins, and then heads off back to Aspull, but DOES NOT go back through Middlebrook. You can get on at Linkway and you can stay on the bus at Tesco.

‼️ So the last bus back to Aspull/NS/Whelley/Wigan from the Linkway Stop (in middle of retail park) is at:

⏰ 19:38 🚌

It may also run slightly early, so please advise anyone wanting to make sure they catch the last bus back, to be there a few mins before this.

I have typed up the Saturday timetable in full, as the continuous loop (merging the outbound and inbound timings) which you can see in the picture below👇(this is not an official TfGM timetable so apologies for any typos/mistakes).

🟢 I have highlighted the LAST SERVICE back from Middlebrook Linkway stop in green.

🟡 I have highlighted the timing points in yellow. This means if the bus arrives early at these stops, they need to wait here until the correct time to depart.

If it’s too small, please email me on [email protected] and I will email it to you as a PDF.

Hope this helps and hope the 615 can prove a really useful service for residents, which is popular and can be expanded 🙌.

Turnpike is Turning Heads



Cllr Chris Ready, Cabinet Member for Culture, took a tour of the fabulous exhibition at the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh which runs until 23rd November 2024.



A groundbreaking digital installation that challenges perceptions of addiction and recovery through dance, the artwork will form the centrepiece of a major new exhibition by Fallen Angels Dance Theatre at the Turnpike Gallery this Autumn.



Beyond the Surface celebrates 10 years of impactful work by Fallen Angels Dance Theatre in Wigan Borough in partnership with Wigan Council, BAC O’Connor, the Turnpike Gallery and Portraits of Recovery (PORe). The exhibition also features part of GM’Recovering month in September 2024.

Are you a working parent with a child aged 9 months to 35 months?

Have you applied for funding for 15 hours of free childcare?

To find out more about childcare funding and how to apply, visit 👉 www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

❗Don’t forget, you must have received and confirmed your code by 31 December 2024 to get your place for January 2025.

Once you have a code, Make sure you reconfirm every 12 weeks to ensure it remains valid.

If you have any queries around childcare, you can email our team on [email protected]

Aspull War Memorial will be lit up on Friday 8 November, 7-9pm.

We are pleased to have been able to organise this again and to have secured funding, as it is an important opportunity for reflection and remembrance.

There is a brass band concert the same night at Aspull Royal British Legion.

And on Remembrance Sunday (10 November) there will be the parade and service at Aspull, from the Legion to the War Memorial, followed by the service at New Springs (St John’s Church).

We will remember them.

📣 REMINDER: SECONDARY SCHOOL APPLICATION DEADLINE IS TOMORROW
🗓️ THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER

A reminder that if you have a child in Year 6, you need to apply for their secondary school place by 11.59pm tomorrow, 31st October.

You apply online:
👉 https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Education/Schools/School-Admissions/Secondary-schools.aspx

You are able to put 3️⃣ schools in order of preference.

Please ensure you put your favoured school first. The allocations system is designed so that if you do not get a place at your first school, you are treated the same for your second choice as someone who put that school as their first choice (against the school’s admissions criteria). You can also change your order or preferences up until the deadline.

Temp traffic lights have gone from Whelley

🚌 The new bus has started this morning 🙌

615: Wigan Bus Station - Scholes - Whelley - New Springs - Aspull Finger Post - Aspull Bolton Road - Horwich Parkway - Middlebrook

It leaves from Stand U at Wigan Bus Station.

First new route in the whole of the Bee Network 🐝 linking residents with Horwich Parkway and Middlebrook and, crucially, a bus back on Bolton Road!

Remember, it’s an irregular timetable (see below) and it’s doesn’t run late evenings and Sundays (yet, hopefully🤞).

It has been great to see a good number of people using the first service and we encourage residents to use the service as much as possible so it can be expanded. Please spread the word.

With best wishes,
Laura, Ron & Chris.

🏠 Sunshine House, Wellington Street, Scholes WN1 3SA

The Community Partnership is based at Sunshine House and offers a wide range of support and advice for residents of Wigan Borough free of charge. The support offer includes homelessness, housing, health and wellbeing, money advice and more.

Please see attached timetable for further information 😊

WHAT’S ON WIGAN & LEIGH GUIDE 👇

Information on loads of events and activities happening across the borough for the rest of the year, including Light Night and Frost Fest in Wigan Town Centre, and activities at Haigh Woodland Park.

Don't forget from this Sunday 27 October (⏰when the clocks go back) our recycling centres move to their winter opening hours
⏰ 9am-5.45pm
📆 Open 7 days a week, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day

💡 LET IT GLOW ✨

Fantastic event this Saturday at One House Community Centre, 6-8pm.

Thanks to all the volunteers from All in Good Taste, One House and FAWNS 🙏

Update, all tickets have now been allocated.

Wigan families can have fun in the dark as village is lit up with display

Never mind Harris or Trump - Aspull has its very own President!



The One House Community Centre rolled out the red carpet for the President of Wigan Rotary Club – Robert Bates. Robert who is this year’s President, lived in Aspull and is a good friend of Cllr Chris Ready.



Chris said “We’ve been friends with Robert and his family for nearly 40 years. Becoming President is a great honour for Robert and the work the Rotary Club do is amazing. Whenever there’s an event, they are on hand to help and it’s what makes Wigan so special - another example of the community at its best.”



Nigel Dean who is Secretary of The One House said “It’s a real honour to host Robert to The One House and to sample our now world famous breakfast.”



Robert commented “Aspull is part of my roots and it was very humbling to get this special invitation from Chris to see this incredible place”.

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🚌 615 BUS TIMETABLES ⏰

Because the timetable of the new 615 bus is irregular, and because we want as many people to know about it and use it, we have been out today delivering leaflets to houses, along with our latest councillors’ newsletter.

We’re aiming to get 5,000 leaflets out across Whelley, New Springs and Aspull over the next week. Thank you to our Labour Party member friends for helping us.

We are delivering posters to shops, pubs, takeaways, community centres, hairdressers, churches across Scholes, Whelley, New Springs and Aspull to spread the word that the new bus is on the way. Thank you to everyone who is putting a poster up.

We also have some (white) printed copies of the timetable including the map which we are leaving across the ward for residents to pick up and have a hard copy to keep with them.

You’re welcome to pop in and collect one from:

- Aspull Royal British Legion
- Whelley Tesco
- The Crown, New Springs
- The Gerrard Arms, Aspull
- MGM Hair Studios, Aspull
- New Springs Pharmacy
- Hair, Beauty & Laser Company, New Springs

Thanks to all these places for hosting the timetables for residents to collect. We’ll be adding to this list throughout the week.

The leaflets/posters say 27th October, because that is when the TfGM new timetable comes into effect, so technically it’s when the new service comes into being.

However, because the new 615 doesn’t currently run on Sundays, it will actually start from 28th October.

First service will be 6.10am, Monday 28th October, from Wigan Bus Station to Middlebrook, VIA BOLTON ROAD 🙌

With thanks,

🌹 Cllr Laura Flynn
🌹 Cllr Ron Conway
🌹 Cllr Chris Ready

Local Councillors for Aspull, New Springs & Whelley Ward including Haigh, Pennington Green, Red Rock, Standish, Top Lock & Worthington.

First new Bee Network bus route is heading to Wigan on a 12-month trial

🚌 Signs going up for the new 615 bus route 🙌

We are so happy to see these signs, particularly on Bolton Road where it has said “School Buses Only” for nearly 5 years.

🗓️ Starting 28th October.

Chris's Wigan 10k Run

Massive thanks to everyone who supported me and sponsored me.
Wigan & Leigh Hospice

We are nearly at £2400 now In memory of Mick Marsh

❤️ Free blood pressure checks at Standish Leisure Centre tomorrow morning, 9am-12noon.

For anyone registered at the surgeries listed below, including Aspull, Longshoot, Standish and Sullivan Way.

No appointment needed.

Simply the Best 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🍒 ⚪️

🏆🏆🏆🏆

📣 Are you part of a local group or service that could create or grow a community activity for the borough’s children with additional needs?

We have a new dedicated fund available to help increase our short break offer for children with disabilities and we want to invest in local, ethical, voluntary and community services, faith groups, and social enterprises.

We’re looking to fund sustainable, creative, and original ideas, that offer opportunities for young people with disabilities to learn new skills or meet together socially.

You can apply as an individual organisation or in partnership with others.

The funding window is open now.

E-mail 👉 [email protected] for the full application pack and further information.