IN the ‘heartbreaking to see it demolished’ report in the Journal on December 1, it was stated Wigan Council leader Lord Peter Smith had said that in opposing the demolition of Formby Hall Atherton MP Chris Green should shoulder some responsibility for ‘a waste of public money’.

But I say that Mr Green was doing what all elected representatives should do, and which some councillors seem unwilling or unable to do, by supporting the interests and wishes of many of his concerned constituents.

In regards to wasting public money, Lord Smith’s misguided criticism of Mr Green’s actions is a classic example of the kettle calling the pot black, for there has yet to be a satisfactory explanation as to why the council reputedly disposed of its holding of land at North Leigh to the developer for just £1 [Cllr Gareth Fairhurst’s blog, December 2015] or for the awarding of £8 million to clean up the site.

To put this staggering sum into a more understandable context, by using the latest census figures for Leigh, this equates to £180 for every man, woman and child in the town.

Other mysterious sales include the ‘undisclosed sum’ obtained by the council from the sale of the old Technical College on Railway Road [Bolton News, May 28, 2014].

As change in our area gathers frightening pace, especially with regard to the ‘development’ of our green open spaces, Lord Smith and his colleagues need to recognise that, as the old year nears its end, there must be far greater transparency in council dealings in future if the present state of disgruntlement and disillusionment among residents is to be dispelled.

An excellent New Year’s resolution would be for all our elected representatives to follow Mr Green’s example and fully support those who elected them in the first place.

If they are reluctant to do this then perhaps they should step down and wander off into one of our few remaining green pastures.

David Wilson

Hoylake Close

Leigh