I must respond to Cllr Paul Heslop who is attacking me as a Harper Green councillor. He attacks me principally over my representation of Farnworth.

And yet he is elected as a Kearsley ward councillor and signed the letter as such. Shall I just wait for another letter from the Farnworth ward councillors then, who are elected for Farnworth? Of the streets and homes in the Harper Green ward 60% are in Farnworth and 40% are in Great Lever with a corner of Morris Green.

In a nutshell I am accused of having little interest in Farnworth. Well I’ve been to nearly every Neighbourhood meeting in five years and every local councillors meeting in five years (neighbourhood management can provide the details).

I have attended nearly every residents meeting in Farnworth, Harper Green, and there are a number (the residents groups have the details). I have attended nearly all of the extra meetings and visits in the five years that get organised.

I have met and completed casework for many residents and businesses in Farnworth and been involved very much in what voluntary and community sector activity there is in Farnworth in our ward regularly working to improve access to youth activities.

I don’t fear accusations of not doing enough as a councillor from the Farnworth and Kearsley First Party because I know what I have done and I feel responsible to the people I do the work for, not that Party. I can’t answer for the 45 years of Labour work for the whole of Farnworth as I was not a councillor for 45 years.

Cllr Sanders, the leader of FAKF, has heard my contributions on Farnworth at Cabinet Meetings, Policy Development Groups, Corporate Scrutiny Meetings and Neighbourhood Meetings. I have never said that Bolton Town Centre is more important than Farnworth Town Centre; find me that reference. Before FAKF had a councillor I remember a Corporate Scrutiny Meeting when the first additional finance pots were given to the towns by Cllr Morris. I stated then that I wanted to see the Farnworth town centre allocation increase by 300%.

I have made it crystal clear to Cllr Heslop that I had little notice of the consultation drop-in events in Brackley Street and I only knew the start date upon receipt of the press release that went to the public too. Things were rushed.

It was Farnworth Ward Councillors, with others, who signed that consultation plan off. Take some responsibility yourself. We are just days off the next important Farnworth meeting where we have to work together and Cllr Heslop has landed ‘a war missile’ at me.

Cllr Sue Haworth

Harper Green Ward