9:55am Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Sir, Regarding the front page article on February 25.
I feel reassured to hear that the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Saint Andy of Leigh and our Council are at work again and have agreed a new vision for Leigh.
As usual all is not as it first seems as the report in last week’s Journal clearly points out.
The truth is in the detail of the commentary from the parties involved. The expanded facilities “would hopefully provide space”; Steve Broomhead of the NWDA said ‘‘the NWDA will commit in principle, subject to standard appraisals procedures”; the Council has indicated “in principle that it will commit to the initial phase, with further funding in subsequent years from a range of other partners” and to achieve all, the aspirations “investment will be sought”.
In other words there is no money in place as of now. The only money committed is the £50,000 for a feasibility study and that’s not taken place yet.
It is also worth researching the history of the masterplan. Our Council first raised this issue and referred to the £50,000 in October 2008. As a life long Leyther I am not holding my breath as the masterplan has no real chance of ever coming to fruition any time soon.
It is a timely disingenuous political gesture to the residents of Leigh and is not a new initiative at all, it is old hat.
The chances of white knights appearing with £8.5 million to spend in Leigh in the next two or three years are as fanciful as Rochdale Hornets winning the cup this season. Nearly eighteen months have already elapsed and no progress made.
As for the four priorities transport is important and they can’t get that right. When are our leaders firstly, ever going to recognise that a serious discussion needs to take place around the reconnection of Leigh to the national rail network and that the guided busway (which itself has been talked about for years) has been, is, and would continue to be a waste of our money and, secondly, that the new traffic management scheme introduced at the Lord Street / Market Place junction has created problems and just doesn’t work. Masterplan my b*****.
M J Howard via e-mail
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.leighjournal.co.uk/trade_directory/