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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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE to everyone we must keep up the momentum of this campaign. Emails, phone calls, letters, direct contact to councillors are so important. As Bob has said they can’t just ignore us if we keep badgering them. Show them we won’t go away whilst injustices like this exist. They are public servants, paid by you.

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Thanks for getting in touch

I am already working with the “friends” – I have supplied them with Ombudsman forms to make a complaint about how the application was dealt with.

I have contacted the Planning Department at Bolton to try to find out exactly how Chorley reached their decision and also to query why Horwich Town Council and Bolton Council were not consulted on an issue which affects our residents and our roads

Many people appear to have been mislead about ‘Go Ape’ and lead to believe that it is some kind of children’s playground.  As I am familiar with ‘Go Ape’ at Grizedale and Whinlatter – I am trying to get the word around about this. My objections have already been reported in the Bolton News and I have been fielding a number of queries – some from people who thought Horwich and Bolton have passed it.

It is difficult to know what else we can do – when a planning application has been approved there is no third party right of appeal – but I think it is essential that those who made this decision are held accountable.

regards – Barbara Ronson

The other two Horwich councillors (Steve Rock and Robert Ronson) have also responded positively.

Steve Rock says:

Hi David
I agree with your comments and I asked that Horwich council be consulted but this did not happen and the council at Bolton and Horwich only found out through my involvement with Rivington Heritage trust.  I have stated along with Bob and Barbara and the rest of our group on the council that we did not feel it was appropriate to have this attraction in Rivington.
The planning authority that covers this area is Chorley as you have stated which gives we have no power over their applications!  The next gem that UU are doing are creating bigger car parks and my concern which I have raised with them is whether they start charging which I am 100%
against.  Unfortunately with GO APE I am afraid there is little any of us can do but I would be happy to give you any support I can on this issue
Regards
Steve Rock

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We need everyone in Bolton, Adlington and Chorley to get in touch with the representatives as soon as possible. This is a fast and FREE service, so get emailing! To get you started, here’s the email I sent:

Dear Robert Ronson, Barbara Ronson and Stephen Rock,

I’m emailing to make sure you’re aware of the Go Ape attraction
currently under development in Rivington. I realise that Rivington does
not come under Horwich council but geographically it is closer to
Horwich than Chorley, and attracts a large number of Horwich residents.

I strongly object to the way the plans were initially approved under
Chorley’s devolved powers. The plans did not go to a full planning
committee, no-one who lives in Rivington or who uses Lever Park was
aware of the plans until they had been passed. Chorley council went
against its own policies and the advice of many of its own employees in
granting permission.

I am giving the Friends of Lever Park (www.leverpark.co.uk) my full
support in their efforts to safeguard Lever Park for the present and
for future generations.

Can you help?

What are you waiting for?

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