THE erection of a fence shutting off entry to Billinge Woods, Blackburn, shows that the tail is wagging the dog when bureaucracy faces democracy.

Originally, an order was placed with the contractor which included a gate section for access to the woods. This is perfectly reasonable, given what Witton Park was bought for the people of Blackburn.

The question of why a fence was being erected where none existed before relates to how the governors of Witton Park High School were able to influence Blackburn Council to rail off borough land to suit the interests of the school, rather than acknowledge the rights of the people.

The Board of Governors has two councillor members, Malcolm Doherty, the leader of the Council, and John Fairless, chair of the board of Governors, who was chair of the Community and Leisure department for some years - the very department which suddenly decided after 40-plus years to erect the fence. Is it ethically defensible to use one's position as a councillor to further the interests of any organisation private or public? Or is there a conflict of interest which would be recognised by right-thinking people? A decision of this kind creates precedents which allow every other school in the borough to request assistance of one kind or another.

My wife and I have delivered personally more than 30 letters to the town hall complaining about the fencing-off of both the Billinge Woods section and the school fence.

The people who wrote them attest to regular use of this land over more than 20 years and, therefore, can claim prescriptive right of access.

Edward Hart, the philanthropist who donated more than half the money to purchase this magnificent country park for the people of Blackburn, laid down conditions relating to his bequest, one of which was that no buildings were to be erected within the park boundaries.

So how the school was ever built in the first place, or land given over as playing fields is a mystery to me and many others. I am concerned that this decision, cloaked in a lame duck excuse about dog dirt, could have further implications.

JOHN CRAMSIE, Saint Marks Road, Blackburn.

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