A PUBLIC consultation is underway to seek ideas for the restoration of a garden donated to the people of Tottington following a Nazi bombing during the war.

Whitehead Gardens has fallen into various states of disrepair over the years, including the amount of daylight, paths in need of clearing and the bandstand/memorial requiring refurbishment.

The project emerged from a study by the children of Tottington Primary School in liaison with Tottington and Bury West Rotary Club.

Members of the community have been taking to the 'One Community Bury' site to register their ideas and thoughts, which is being encouraged by project leaders.

The Whitehead Gardens Steering Group comprising members of Tottington and Bury West Rotary Club and members of the local community has been formed to lead and manage current and future developments.

John Wood, chair of the steering group, said: "We seem to have been getting some pretty good responses so far and we want to see that so we know that people want the project to go ahead.

""We are trying to encourage people to go on the website and give their suggestion and contribute letters of support too.

"The project manager and company will look at all the ideas and come up with draft plans for the project."

The Project has already made significant inroads into improving the area with a complete refurbishment of the boundary wall adjacent to Chapel Street, installation of signage, restoration of flower beds, restoration of what had been a lost pathway and cleaning of the paths.

It is envisaged that Whitehead Gardens will feature information boards and will also be the starting point for a virtual heritage trail which Tottington and Bury West Rotary are developing in liaison with Tottington Primary School.

Six people died in a horrific German ‘doodlebug’ bomb attack on the town on Christmas Eve, 1944.

One of the most touching aspects to come out of the horror of that day was a kind-hearted gesture from the Whitehead family, of Stormer Hill, who paid £5,000 for a remembrance garden to be built -Whitehead Gardens. Today, a plaque remembering the dead is in the gardens and a service was held there on Christmas Eve, 2004 to mark the 60th anniversary.

The public consultation is set to end on July 31, after being extended due to the ongoing pandemic.

John added: "I have been in contact with the Whitehead family and they have supported what we are doing.

"We hope that the garden will be of great benefit to the community when it is finished.

"It is a memorial garden and we will be in keeping with that."

To submit your ideas and suggestions, visit https://www.onecommunitybury.co.uk.