IT WAS deeply disturbing to read your news that 81 houses are to be built on a small flood plain next to Pennington Park. It beggars belief that with the knowledge we have, so called learned and educated persons could allow and even encourage such building.

What, however, is so disappointing is the emphasis given to the wildlife issue, which although laudable, should take its place behind the flood plain concern and the reduction of quality of life to all on Hayman estate and especially those with young families.

As with most estates, cars have to be regularly parked on the narrow roads requiring careful and slow driving. However, added to the usual minority of cars and some motorbikes, who treat them as fast lanes of the motorways, we also have the problem of a nursery sited on our estate.

Some parents appear to have a lap record to better each day as they dash in and out and would, I'm sure put the fear of God even into Michael Schumacher.

The above we have tolerated for some time but to now give access via our single estate road to the 81 houses with a potential for up to 200 additional car movements a day is sheer madness.

Is it any wonder that people refuse to vote when common sense is continually put on the back burner in defence to greed and profit and we remain unprotected by those we pay large salaries to maintain high standards in our society.

Mr G Blackburn, Leigh