Atherton hope that returning V2 service can return thriving nightlife

The guided busway service was credited with attracting more commuters to the borough of Wigan, the furthest of Greater Manchester’s authorities from the centre, when it began running over six years ago. Cafes, bars and shops all benefitted from the increased connectivity.

But, after demand plummeted in lockdown the service was slashed – and even after lockdown ended, wasn’t fully restored.

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Andy Burnham in one of the newly branded Bee Network buses (Image: LDRS)

Now, transport bosses have revealed that the service will return to a full-time schedule. A major announcement for locals. The news on the V2 – which travels directly from Atherton town centre to the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) via the Leigh Guided Busway – came as Transport for Greater Manchester promoted their launch of the Bee Network coming September 24.

The idea behind the Bee Network is to bring buses under local control in a London-style system, making a more efficient and effective service than the current deregulated market.

As part of these plans, TfGM also announced the ambition to increase the daytime frequency on the V1 and V2 services on the Leigh Guided Busway (LGB) to at least eight buses in each direction every hour .

Currently, five V2 buses an hour run during peak hours between Atherton and Manchester (7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm), but the service was cut entirely during off-peak hours – until now – which meant Athertonians had no direct service at those times.

This is more than just a win for public transport users in the commuter town – businesses in the area see this as an opportunity to continue the economic boom the service brought before the pandemic. Councillors, commuters and businesses all campaigned for years to get the V2 back because of the perceived financial benefit.

Previously, locals told the Local Democracy Service that they felt trapped in the area without a reliable bus service. Despite having a train station, which is a 20 minute walk from the centre, strikes and a lack of a full-time bus service left residents feeling stranded.

Rachael Flazcack said the return of the full service will be amazing for Atherton (Image: LDRS)

For places like the Snug, a café/bar that showcases live music acts, the V2 bus service benefitted them in more ways than one. Before the service was cut down, they often had young music acts travelling with their kit on the bus directly outside the door of the coffee house.

Much like the Night and Day Café in Manchester city centre, they promote local up and coming acts – but when the bus disappeared at off-peak times, so did the opportunities for bands that were not yet old enough to drive.

Owner of the Snug, Rachael Flaszczak, said: “It’s going to be amazing for Atherton because I can tell ticket buyers we have this service back and we fought to get that. If I can be confident in great transport links it will help business.

“Things seem to be lifting in the town. We are getting an Early Doors Project (an innovative project aimed at boosting the local music scene) so we’ve been given funding for the early night time economy now as well.

“That regular bus will be great as people don’t want to be restricted by bus times. I think we’re going to see a massive difference in Atherton.

“We’ve got a great mix of bars, the traditional pubs, cocktail bars and music venues like ours – and we have two more that are due to open soon.”

Patrick McLoughlin, co-owner of The Cabinet in Atherton (Image: LDRS)

The plethora of choice for bars in the town is expanding – which is why Atherton is becoming more of a go-to destination in the evening. Patrick McLoughlin, who runs The Cabinet bar on Church Street with his cousin Kieran McLoughlin, stated he has had punters coming from Altrincham for a night out in the town.

The Cabinet are wanting to bring a Manchester-style bar scene for local young professionals in the area so they don’t need to go to the city for a night out. Patrick admitted he was unsure as to how the reinstallment of the bus service would directly impact business – he believes if you offer the right service, people will come from far and wide to sample it.

“We don’t know where people come from most of the time when they’re not local. For a night out it’s different from the early evening trade and the bus will help those coming from out of the area.

“We get people from all over for a night out here. We’ve had people from Altrincham just to try it.

“I’m not sure if people will come from Manchester but it might have the opposite effect where people may leave here to go to Manchester. However, it’s always good for new transport links to come in and it’s good for the general local economy as we’re a commuter town.”

Patrick believed the nightlife in the area is the best it has been in decades, but people have to be drawn out. The Cabinet puts on quiz nights, a popular bottomless brunch on a Saturday in order to draw in the clientele in what is a tough period with the cost of living crisis ongoing.

He went on to explain that the businesses have changed dramatically in recent years, with traditional vendors such as green grocers and butchers leaving due to the introduction of supermarkets. They have been replaced by bars, cafes and hairdressers mainly looking at the high street.

Vantage bus pictured on Market Street (Image: LDRS)

Not everyone is hopeful though. One local 85-year-old who was born and raised in the town believed the centre was ‘depressed’ and offered her nothing compared to years gone by. The pensioner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the place was filled with banks and independent vendors before being taken over by bars and hair salons.

“Praise the lord,” she said when hearing the V2 will be returning on a full-time schedule. “Although there will not be a lot of impact on the town.

“I’m an Atherton person, but the bus takes you out of the dump, which this is, into the big city and we’re not city types here.

“Manchester offers a variety that local shops don’t. I have worked outside the town in my life and I escaped at one point.

“It’s a depressed sort of place, with lots of unemployment and not much prosperity. Tesco shut our shops, all we have is bars.

“It’s now a night time economy. This (pointing at the new bar Society currently being renovated) used to be a bank and now we have bars instead.

“Charity shops, bars and nail places are all we have. I think the restoring of the bus service will not make a lot of difference to the town, I’m hoping I’m wrong, but if people don’t use it it won’t stick around.

“I think the town is beyond saving.”

The pensioner was complimentary of the bus itself, saying it was great news for commuters – but didn’t believe Atherton would benefit in terms of business trade.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, active travel commissioner Dame Sarah Storey and transport commissioner Vernon Everitt with the first Bee Network branded bus in Bolton (Image: Bee Network)

The Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has often hailed the guided busway as a success, and ranks it alongside the development of Leigh Sports Village as a catalyst for investment in the area. LSV was followed by the £50 million Loom retail park in the town centre and the guided busway service.

“For years people told me they didn’t want this misguided busway,” Mr Burnham said previously. “(But) I remember the first letter from someone complaining about the guided busway, saying ‘when it gets to Tyldesley I can’t get on it’. “That was the first complaint of its success. I don’t think it has solved Leigh’s transport problems but it has definitely helped in a big way.”

A musician who goes by the name of Spud was playing his saxophone on the high street, watching the world go by. A local man himself who plays in various high streets in Bolton, Wigan and Salford, he sees the centre as lacking – but that is nothing out of the ordinary at the moment in his mind.

Spud the saxaphone player sat on Market Street (Image: LDRS)
“I’ve read about the V2 coming back,” he said. “An increase of buses is always a good thing.

“But I don’t think people would come here from Manchester. It’s a political mess altogether with the economic situation, I’ve been here two hours and got £10.

“With online shopping and stuff like that, it’s all going downhill in town centres. I used to busk in Manchester but I wouldn’t do it now having trouble with beggars over pitches.

“This is a nice place and I like coming here. It changes in terms of footfall here. I came this morning, it was busier than I’ve ever seen it but I got less today than I usually do.

“For the businesses it could be beneficial. But everyone is struggling, not just here. This will be dead after lunch time.”

Wigan Council has a the Plan for Atherton which highlights what the town already offers and how they hope to build for the future.

“With its great schools, high quality greenspace, attractive heritage buildings and excellent road and rail transport connections, Atherton has much to be proud of,” the plan states. “Atherton’s centre continues to thrive as a bustling local town with a diverse mix of unique independent shops and leisure venues and a developing quality night-time economy with an increasing number of busy restaurants, cafes and bars.

“Atherton’s location close to Manchester also offers great potential for future growth. This Plan is the first step in helping to achieve that growth, highlighting what we already have in the town and surrounding area, and what we can build on for the future.

“There are many exciting opportunities for Atherton to take advantage of over the next few years, but this will only be achieved through the combined efforts of the private and public sectors, local businesses, residents and other stakeholders.”

Although the V2 will provide commuters in the town a more reliable option to get from the town to the train station, it remains to be seen how this could impact the local economy.