June 26, 1968

RESIDENTS are uproar after their streets became plagued by dust, which has now turned to a sea of mud.

The issue is emanating from the quarry near to Bircle Parish Church and in the past few weeks roads to and from the site have resembled a desert, but following the recent heavy rain vehicles and pedestrians are now having to negotiate a morass of mud.

Nearby residents are now claiming the issue has led to dust and mud choking eyes and mouths and made water undrinkable for weeks.

Mr T Ashworth of Schoolhouse Farm, who is not connected to the water mains and relies on rainwater from his roof said: "The water became muddy and unfit for drinking or using for washing.

"It was most inconvenient to have all the doors and windows closed in the hot weather to prevent the dust from covering everything in the house."

Another resident from Church Hill Road, Mrs W P Crompton, described the situation as "disgraceful", adding: "We don't know which is worse, the mud or the dust, but with the latter it was impossible to put out the washing or sit in the garden because the dust settled everywhere and got in the eyes and mouth.

"My husband has been to the quarry to have a word about the situation but no one will take responsibility."

The quarry is owned by the Church Council of Bircle Parish Church but is rented to the Manchester firm Fairview Construction Ltd.

An expected 40,000 tons of rock will be taken from the quarry to form part of the foundation for the Lancashire-Yorkshire motorway, which passes a few miles from the church.

THE Public Library’s new look has been revealed after an extensive operation to clean the building of decades of accumulate grime.

Flanked by two life-size classical figures representing the arts and literature, Bury’s coat of arms now stands in crystal clear definition above the main entrance in Manchester Road.

The impressive front has been restored to its former glory thanks to sandblasting as part of a £2,000 scheme to revitalise the town’s cultural landmarks.

The Art Gallery in Moss Street will be the next building to get a makeover during Bury's first Operation Springclean.

WORK on a new £200,000 sewage treatment plant has been given the go-ahead in a bid to completely tackle stenches coming from the plant at Blackford Bridge.

Construction is expected to start before the end of the year following another mass protest over nuisance smells

More than 100 Radcliffe householders, most from the Dumers Lane Area, signed a petition calling on Radcliffe Town Council to step into the smells battle.

In the mean time special deodorant sprays have been fitted around the sludge lagoons at the works in order to neutralise some of the stenches.