Bolton Gun Club have begun erecting a new firing shelter in Wilton 3, and have retrospectively applied for planning permission. This will affect climbing on the Orange Wall and near the Forked Cracks area. If you want to prevent this, it is very important you state your objection to their application by 2nd December.

Anyone who has climbed at Wilton 3 this year will have noticed the extensive earthworks and the new firing shelter which has been erected. The Bolton Gun Club have applied for planning permission (retrospectively) for works at the quarry and are planning to expand their use of the range and grow the club.

The submitted planning application also involves the placement of a large steel shipping container at the base of one of the walls, behind their 50m firing point.

The container will prevent or impair climbing in the orange corner area of the quarry and will result in the loss of some good quality routes.

Please contact Bolton Planning to register your objection to the application. The closing date for comments is the 2nd December.

We need to make sure that climbers are given consideration by the planning department, if we all keep quiet we'll lose a few really good routes.

The shooting club own the quarry but climbers have a right of access, we respect the need to share the quarry and their right to use it. The placement of the steel container needs to be changed which should keep all parties happy.

Or you can email your comments direct to the Bolton planning department at planning.control@bolton.gov.uk you will need to give the planning reference number 90850/13, your name and address and the nature of your complaint / comment.

Please drop a note on the forum thread to let us know that you have commented, that way we can try and make sure that no comments get lost in the system.

Let your climbing clubs and anyone you know that uses the Wilton quarries know about the plans, and that it is important that they respond, in numbers, Quickly.

You can view the plans here