Protest to be held over Go Ape plan
9:00am Tuesday 4th November 2008 in Search Module By Julian Thorpe
Campaigners against the tree-top adventure course discuss tactics at Horwich Conservative Club
ANGRY campaigners are to hold a demonstration to fight plans for a tree-top adventure course at a popular beauty spot.
The Friends of Lever Park group has vowed to fight plans to build a Go Ape forest adventure centre at Rivington.
About 100 people packed into Horwich Conservative Club on Monday night to discuss how to combat the proposed development, which they believe will ruin Bolton’s most beautiful piece of countryside.
Residents, who travelled from all over the surrounding area, agreed to meet at Rivington a week on Sunday to show their anger at Go Ape, landowners United Utilities and governing authority Chorley Council.
Friends chairman Bob Dootson called upon supporters to descend on Rivington en masse brandishing placards bearing messages of protest. He said: “The demonstration will bring Rivington to the attention of everybody, and how it’s going to change forever if they’re allowed to get away with these plans.”
The demonstration was proposed by Philip Smith, aged 47, of Birch Avenue, Westhoughton. He suggested the idea after pointing out the high number of people attending the meeting.
Members of the Bolton Bridleway Association pledged to bring horses to the demonstration, while many residents said they would hand out leaflets and gather signatures for a petition.
The demonstrators will meet at the bottom barn in Rivington at 12.30pm on Sunday, November 16, before marching to the top barn.
