THE residents involved in the recent redirection of the passage between Heathfield Drive and Sale Lane and to the rear of Sycamore Avenue would like to make our intentions and actions clear.

As frontages to this walkway all 10 residents are in agreement about the redirection of the passage. Over the last few years the area concerned has deteriorated into an area for gangs of youths (often drunk and under-age) to congregate.

The residents have also been subject to many burglaries and house-breakings, vandalism and abuse from these mindless idiots. This, coupled with the council's inability to clean and maintain this area, due to it not being a recognised footpath, and the police's manpower shortage, not allowing them to adequately police the area, have resulted in the action which has been taken to divert the passageway a mere 75 yards onto the public footpath off Heathfield Drive and Sycamore Avenue.

Consultation was taken both with Wigan Council and the police prior to any action, and both parties were in agreement with the redirection of the passage.

It has never been the intention of the 10 frontages of the passage to inconvenience other residents of the estate, in fact quite the opposite is true. We now no longer have an area which is unkempt, uncleaned, and un-policed, and therefore is not now an area for vandalism and crime. Surely the rest of the residents of the estate should applaud this action rather than condemn it.

Tired Residents

(Names and addresses supplied)

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