FURTHER delays in dealing with the empty houses blighted by the now cancelled M62 Relief Road at Whitefield is totally unacceptable says Bury MP David Sumberg. Though the road has been axed, misery continues he maintains.

Now Mr. Sumberg is to lead an all-party delegation to see Roads Minister John Watts, on April 24, as concern grows.

The Minister will also meet Councillor John Smith, chairman of Housing and Environmental services, Mr. Sandy Patterson, director of housing, and a nominated councillor from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat party.

"Further delay in dealing with this problem is totally unacceptable as considerable damage to the local environment has already been caused by incompetent management of the houses," declared Mr. Sumberg.

He added that because promises had been made to the local community about the management of the houses, and these promises had been broken, urgent action must now be taken.

Numerous complaints rom local people about poor standards of repair and unkempt gardens made it crystal clear that people are continuing to suffer even though the threat of the relief road has been lifted.

He has conducted a comprehensive survey of local opinion and is in no doubt that local people wanted the area to be returned to its former residential status.

"Indeed, regardless of whatever different shades of opinion there may be there is total unity that any houses which are rented must be managed and repaired to a far higher standard than has happened to date," he concluded.

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