I AGREE with almost everything C Blain, of Tyldesley, wrote in The Bolton News on Wednesday (“Trust is lost over Cutacre”) and I’m grateful for the support, but the suggestion that the original condition in the mining permission should be legally binding is a red herring.

It would be enforceable if Bolton Council wished to enforce it.

However, since it is the council who wishes to release the Green Belt, there is no hope.

The council has just published its Draft Allocations Plan, which effectively moves the proposed boundary of the industrial park to Rosemary Lane, instead of the indicative boundary at Back Lane, but how many people know that?

I know the answer — only a handful, although, to be fair, it was mentioned in The Bolton News in July.

However, that plan is an early draft of the plan timetabled for consultation in autumn, followed by publishing and submitting the plan in 2012.

This would be followed by a public examination and adoption in 2013! But UK Coal have changed their restoration work to follow the proposed boundaries.

I challenged this with the council and at first was met with a wholly dismissive response, although my observation was later admitted and I was told that this was not a problem because UK Coal are doing this “at their own risk”.

I completely understand that UK Coal would wish to assume that the plan will be adopted and plan their expensive work accordingly, but surely we should be consulted before things happen, rather than after?

The core strategy might have proceeded without challenge, had it not been for the campaign by the residents of Over Hulton and councillors for Hulton Ward.

I also hear from our councillors that they are preparing a leaflet for distribution to all residents, outlining the current position with regards to the allocations plan and how residents can make their own representations to the council.

I’m very much in favour of job creation, but when I read the headline about 4,000 jobs to be “created” at Cutacre, I wasn’t surprised, looking out of the window, to see thousands of flying pigs go past.

Ian L Smith Breeze Hill Over Hulton