IN response to Cllr Pickup's letter dated June 27 (Much more pressing matters).

In my letter dated June 6, I did not refer to uncovering, "the cobbles of streets across the borough" but only to the historic streets known locally as the railway terraces.

Cllr Pickup refers to safety, but has he supported his position with any negative health and safety data from the cobbled crescent in Bolton which has been there for a long time?

No. He further offers that "if money was no object, then this is something which may be considered".

Considered by whom? Cllr Pickup himself? There are policies in place within the council to enable dialogue between all councillors and officers, so why has he seemingly dismissed the idea?

He then refers to my not detailing how the initiative would be funded and to what the costs would be.

I have only been an elected councillor for eight weeks, but in that time I have become acutely aware of the wonderfully supportive and professional administrators and officers at Bolton Council and their specific roles and responsibilities.

I would have therefore expected Cllr Pickup to already be aware that the highways department would initiate this essential data, not a councillor who does not have their level of expertise.

Cllr Pickup cites that we are living in times of austerity. Really?

I am sure our residents might be aware of this already.

He cites budget cuts made by the Tory government, but already I am becoming tired of this continually offered excuse for almost everything by Labour.

We should be uniting more on a local level and actually working together as, dare I say, a "team" to effect the best practice we can. National politics in my view should not enter local communities and during my campaign, this was voiced over and over again by residents.

Yes, I refer to residents, a word not included at all in your letter Cllr Pickup.

Let's listen to what residents want and need and let's see what we can do.

How we can empower and how we can spend the "Tory" budget wisely, when we put national politics aside.

Am I naive? No, I feel that nothing is ever achieved through ineffective working, not valuing different viewpoints and not being transparent.

Perhaps my idea might have received a better response from Cllr Pickup if, the Labour team, as I believe they are now referring to themselves as, Labour ward councillors, had perhaps thought of it.

Cllr Susan Baines

Horwich and Blackrod