It is important to look at the facts. Lord Leverhulme bequeathed Lever Park to Liverpool Corporation for the provision of water and the continued free enjoyment of the public. This philosophy is not going to change but it is important to recognise that the park has changed in character over the years to meet the public’s needs.

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AS a Bolton resident and a regular visitor to the Lever Park area of Rivington, I wholeheartedly back the protest against the Go-Ape project.

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ANGRY residents have formed a group to fight plans for a tree-top adventure course and car park at a popular beauty spot.

Click the link to go to the original Bolton News article.

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WE wish to register our objection to the scarring of the Lever Park, Rivington, by the Go Ape adventure course project

We are at a loss to understand why the application was fast-tracked despite the following:

1. Government guideline instructions as to when fast-tracking is recommended and, more importantly, when it is not allowed.

2. This development does not fall intoChorley Council’s own planning guidelines.

3. In the lead-up to this application being granted, Chorley Council paperwork continually recommended that it be refused.

Why then was it granted by three councillors in a fast-track procedure?

How, despite the numerous pre-application refusals, was the plan then granted permission through delegated powers which precluded the public from getting involved?

The many reasons for our objections cannot now be raised during the planning application stage because Go Ape and United Utilities have cleverly dealt with this by quietly hiding the application in delegated powers.

However we and many other lovers of the Rivington area will not allow this subtle side-stepping of legislation to go un-noticed. Neither will we only talk amongst ourselves about what we see as the injustice of it all.

We intend to make as much noise about this as we can.

We will not go away quietly and think ‘what a shame we didn’t know what was being proposed’ before the planning application was nodded through.

It would be appreciated if Go Ape and Chorley Council would reply to this letter, giving us some reasons for the apparent circumvention of proper planning application rules — as depicted in their own and Governmental documents.

Why, also, has Go Ape or United Utilities found it necessary to fell 21 trees?

We have been told that 18 of them were diseased and required felling.

It seems amazing that those 18 were in direct line of the Go Ape project and none were apparently found to be diseased two yards either side for the whole length of it.

Fourteen of the felled trunks have been removed, despite the Go Ape website seemingly suggesting that felled trees are left to rot away.

Maybe the firms could explain the reason for this?

We further note that the Go Ape course now appears to have breached the conservation area.

We think it all beggars belief!

Mike and Gloria Wayne, Pennine Road, Horwich

Gale Blackburn also writes in Saturday’s Bolton News:

I AM writing regarding the Go Ape development which is currently being built near the Lower Barn at Rivington, and the cutting of, so far, 21 mature trees.

Lever Park is a public park, left in trust to the people of Bolton by Lord Leverhulme, and is managed by United Utilities.

The primary function of Rivington is for public recreation, so how could such a scheme go ahead without public consultation? I was unaware that a private business could operate in a public area.

How will this affect the public use of the footpaths and bridleways? How will the increase in traffic be managed in an already packed area?

I’m all in favour of a development which would bring so much enjoyment, especially to young people, but I think this is in the wrong place, it seems to contravene planning guidance and will impact on wildlife in the area.

Gale Blackburn, Horwich

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