Residents in Darcy Lever have won the support of Bolton North East MP Kirith Entwistle in a campaign to have Lower Darcy Street repaired. The road, which is unadopted by the council, is described by locals as riddled with deep potholes and prone to flooding, and it serves as the primary access for a number of households.
Why residents want action
Lower Darcy Street links several streets to the wider highway network, including Higher Darcy Street, Clayton Avenue, Clayton Street and Leaf Street. Locals say the poor surface and standing water make the route dangerous and risk leaving residents cut off in severe weather.
"The condition of Lower Darcy Street is simply unacceptable. People should not have to navigate dangerous road surfaces or worry about whether severe weather will leave them cut off from their homes,"
Those are the words of Kirith Entwistle after she visited the area and met community organiser Deborah Smethurst, who has led a petition calling for council intervention. Ms Smethurst told the MP she has been raising concerns for years and welcomed the direct inspection.
What residents say and what they fear
- Road surface: multiple deep potholes reported along Lower Darcy Street.
- Flooding: regular pooling of water following rainfall, hindering access.
- Access risk: residents fear being isolated from Radcliffe Road and other routes during bad weather.
Ms Entwistle criticised the current state of the street and pointed to recent measures the council has taken in the area — installing bollards to discourage dangerous short‑cuts — and asked why long‑term repairs could not be carried out instead.
"I can see that the council have spent money to put in bollards to stop people using their own shortcuts to avoid potholes, so why can’t we fix the long-term problem?"
Streets affected and immediate concerns
| Street | Primary concern |
|---|---|
| Lower Darcy Street | Deep potholes and regular flooding; main access route |
| Higher Darcy Street | Connected access dependent on Lower Darcy Street |
| Clayton Avenue / Clayton Street / Leaf Street | Residents fear being cut off during severe weather |
Ms Entwistle has pledged to work with residents and Bolton Council to try and secure a solution. She paid tribute to Ms Smethurst for galvanising the community and said the petition shows the strength of local feeling.
"I want to pay tribute to Deborah Smethurst for the determined way she has championed her neighbours and brought these concerns to the forefront,"
The next steps are likely to involve continued engagement between the MP, campaigners and council officers to establish whether the road can be adopted or otherwise prioritised for repair. For residents, the immediate priority remains ensuring safe, reliable access to their homes and protection against being isolated during bad weather.
Information for readers: residents who use the affected streets should take care during and after heavy rain and report any newly emerging defects to Bolton Council using the council's highways reporting service.
Archie Grant
Bolton Community Correspondent, InfoRadar
