REGARDING your recent article on the Town Hall, I must take serious issue with the headline.

There was no question mark. This is not trivial. It is making an unsupportable statement about a future planning verdict.

In theory, there is no inevitability about the decision at planning committee. The process requires a planning officer to scrutinise all the submitted evidence, including public opinion. Then he has to present a recommendation to Committee that has a reasoned justification, based on the weighing of that evidence. It will then be for responsible elected members of the Planning Committee to make their decision informed by the planning officer’s report.

It is essential that the planning officer is not unduly pressurised, even implicitly, towards an expectation of one particular outcome. I think it behoves the Bolton News to bear in mind at least the democratic process of local planning, particularly when you are an important source of local understanding.

Whilst Cllr Morris is not actually on the Planning Committee, there have been a number of occasions when he has substituted for other elected members.

In view of all the recent pronouncements by Cllr Morris on the Town Hall application, one presumes he will not wish to substitute himself on the Planning Committee determining the Town Hall application.

Richard Shirres

Chairman of Bolton & District Civic Trust