If training is needed, then it’s the longest apprenticeship we’ve ever heard of, so we ask the question, “For what reason was personal knowledge not used?”.

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Go Ape are diverting 85m of the footpath at the school end within the next few weeks which will divert the public away from some sections of wall which are in disrepair. In areas adjacent to the footpath we may dismantle areas of the wall where there are points where visitors cross regularly. In other areas of disrepair we may choose to stabilise the wall by clearing loose stone and mortaring the remaining top stones in place.

Of course, the path would not be in a state of disrepair were it not for the presence of Go Ape.  Two questions present themselves:

1. Why are Go Ape diverting the footpath when their planning application stated that the development would not require any alterations to pedestrian access? You can see the original application here.
2. Will the diverted path be in the area of the dangerously low zip wire? If so, are Go Ape tacitly admitting that the zip wire is dangerous in its current position?

[UPDATE] The plan for the footpath diversion is now available here.  And yes, the diversion does go around the low zip wire that we identified as dangerous back in March. We don’t believe the diversion is anything to do with the disrepair of the wall. Another case of Go Ape/United Utilities/Chorley being economical with the truth?

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(Just don’t mention The Ashes)

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On a really serious matter I must say the fast long ride that terminates near Rivington village was in use today. As I was approaching a pleasant enough operative politely informed me of the fact that a customer was approaching on the ride and would I watch my head. I pulled up abruptly to witness the cutomer crossing the pathway at high speed, his feet sure enough at about head height. Have you any answer to this, this ride was used a few months ago and did seem to be higher and safer than now. If I had been deaf I wouldn’t have received the warning and dread to think of the consequences or I might have been on a mountain bike travelling too quickly to stop etc.

What do you think? Leave your comments below:

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Dear Robert Ronson, Stephen Rock and Barbara Ronson,

I’m emailing to express my concern at the lack of support for the Friends of Lever Park in their efforts to stop the commercialisation of Lever Park.

Bob Dootson has led a magnificent campaign to try and stop the Go Ape development and he has been very publicly supported by Lindsay Hoyle MP and Ruth Kelly MP. However, grassroots support from local councillors in Horwich, Rivington, Chorley and Adlington has been poor.

Indeed, lack of vigilance by local representative groups (especially Rivington Parish Council, Rivington Heritage Trust and Rivington and Brinscall Advisory Group) allowed the development to proceed when clearly a large majority of people were very much against the development.

Despite providing the local government ombudsman with a dossier of written evidence which provided damning evidence of maladministration by Chorley Council, and which was only countered by evidence even Chorley had to admit was ‘here-say’, it looks like the ombudsman will not hold Chorley to account.

You will be aware the Lever Park was gifted to the people of Bolton by Lord Leverhulme. Although it lies within the boundary of Chorley, most of the visitors are your constituents from Horwich and Chorley.

At the moment, none of the users of Lever Park has any voice in its future.

So I’d like you to contact your colleagues in Rivington, Adlington and Chorley and join forces with the local MPs and start to work together to ensure that the people of Chorley and Bolton have an effective voice in the future development of this peaceful and tranquil area.

Yours sincerely, David Pott

I’ll let you know if they respond. Meanwhile, why don’t you email your councillor, MP or even MEP? Its very easy and its free!

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United Utilities state in their supportive statement (28th April 2008) for the Go-Ape application. (See Chorley Council website).
 
“Go-Ape’s method of construction prevents damage to the trees as strapping is used to support the course rather than direct attachment to the trees”

Tree Wrap

It seems strange that 5” nails attach the spars to the trees before the wire wrapping is added, does this not damage trees? Perhaps people could estimate the number of nails used on this site?

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You’ll get the latest reponses to the various questions slowly to-ing and fro-ing between Lyndsay Hoyle and Sadiq Khan.

Here’s a link to the latest reponse: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-02-23b.256906.h

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It was noted that a planning application had been submitted for a hotel at the Bowling Green in Rivington Village. This is an outline application; the documents and plans can be viewed on Chorley Council’s planning website . The planning number is 08/01252/OUT, and the closing date for comments is 29/01/09. If anyone has a view on this application, comments can be made direct to Chorley Council.

The planning application for the proposed new car park off Rivington Lane, near Great House Barn has still not been submitted.

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Paul Whittingham phoned me today (14th) in response to my querying of the limits of the Go-Ape development in relation to the area edged red on the map submitted with the planning application on which planning permission was given.

In my opinion they have created two more potential zip wire points which are outside the boundary. Paul said that he agreed, and that once Go-Ape had considered their options, if they intended to go ahead a further planning application would be required.

I stated that the map that was available to the public was very unclear and based on out of date features on the ground, thus making it difficult to interpret. I asked for an updated plan/map.

Tony Johnson

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