A NEW committee of councillors is to be set up to try to head off plans to "move" Atherton into a new a Parliamentary constituency.
An all-party group has been set up to develop alternative proposals following opposition to the Parliamentary Boundary Commission's plans to extend the constituency of Bolton West to incorporate Atherton, which is part of Wigan.
At an extraordinary meeting of Bolton Council held last week, councillors voted to form a response group which would look to develop plans to form three parliamentary constituencies entirely from within the boundaries of the Bolton Metropolitan Borough.
Speaking at the meeting, Conservative Cllr John Walsh described the proposals as "regrettable"
He told the meeting that to move Atherton would "rip the heart out" of the township.
The plans, which, if approved by Parliament, would come into force at the next but one General Election, are aimed at reducing the increasing gulf between the most and least populated constituencies in the North-west.
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