JUDGING by the volume of correspondence on the subject, your newspaper has certainly opened the floodgates in its attack on the "upside-down trees" art-work for the Lune cyclepath.

As the Green Party spokesperson on the arts, I'm willing to admit that very occasionally a cranky idea that probably doesn't really deserve funding does somehow manage to get it.

But as a general rule we, as a society, very definitely should be supporting experimental artists who extend and transform our perceptions. Otherwise we remain bogged down in stock notions and stereotypes.

In Lancaster we have a particular interest in maintaining our reputation as "arts capital of the North West" by supporting challenging artists and art-works. That reputation brings us important economic benefits as well as enhancing the creativity and quality of life for all of us.

The Morecambe Bay Independents are already cutting council funding for local arts projects. Please don't compound their folly by encouraging your readers to throw out the baby of artistic innovation with the bathwater of the occasional eccentric idea.

Cllr Tony Pinkney

Green Party

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.