AT the Bury Council planning sub-committee meeting, held on June 11 to hear the proposal to relocate Bolton Road Sports Club to land at Dow Lane, I witnessed one of the biggest cop-outs in the history of politics.

It was obvious that as soon as Councillor Derek Boden, the leader of the Labour Group, had delivered his speech that the outcome of the meeting was already decided.

The councillors who made up the planning sub-committee behaved more like a flock of sheep than our elected representatives, passing the application with a majority of four to one. As far as I could see, six of them did not even have the backbone to vote.

I believe that this planning application was passed for the wrong reasons. It was passed not because it benefits the community or the environment, but in order to save money by not having to fight possible future appeals by Wainhomes.

The granting of this application blows a hole a mile wide in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and is totally contrary to the council's commitment to Local Strategy 21. It also gives a green light to any developer who wants to get future plans passed in Bury - simply put the council under financial pressure and the weak-kneed councillors will eventually give in.

I feel very strongly that the people of Bury have been badly let down by their elected representatives. I would also like to know why the councillors waited until after the local elections before overturning their existing policy.

I feel a full and truthful explanation is in order.

JAMES BULLEN,

Buckingham Drive, Bury.

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