A MEETING is being held in a bid to raise awareness of what the busway route will mean for Tyldesley Market Square.

Residents who are opposed to the link route between Tyldesley and Atherton that will see buses cut through the square and run in the opposite direction to the current one way system have planned the meeting in the hope of informing people of the plans.

They have also launched a petition calling for a judicial review into the consultation process and will be setting up camp in the market square on Saturday to distribute information.

Gavin Clements, a spokesman for the residents, said: “We are holding the meeting to tell people about what is going on because the majority have no idea that they intend to rip up Market Street.

“The council says it told everyone two years ago but no one seems to recall it and apparently of the 83 responses, the majority were negative.

“A lot of people on the Enough is Enough Facebook page want the busway stopped but I know that will never happen.

“My aim is to get this Tyldesley Atherton link looked at. There is no need for them to carve across Market Square.”

Gavin, who has formerly run as a Liberal Democrat in council elections and is considering running again as an independent candidate, also believes the council has brought forward work in the square.

Terry Dunn, director of environment at Wigan Council, said: “One of the aims of the project in the town centre is to improve the appearance of Market Square.

“It’s quite wrong to claim a full consultation on the busway and town centre works didn’t take place.”

The council says that it carried out a consultation process and a public inquiry including an awareness campaign that saw 118,000 leaflets distributed to properties along the busway route in July 2012.

This was followed in September and October 2012 by a public consultation on the Tyldesley town centre scheme with approximately 5,000 leaflets distributed to properties within a 400 metre radius of the proposals in the town centre.

Mr Dunn said: “Comments received during the public consultation and Wigan Council’s Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation periods were considered and where possible changes to the scheme were incorporated as a result.

“The work in Tyldesley town centre has not been brought forward. It is due to start on November 3.”

Residents will be in Tyldesley Market Square from 10am until 1pm on Saturday and the meeting is being held at the Conservative Club on Stanley Street on Monday at 7.30pm.