I AM writing in response to the letter from Mrs B Stuart regarding Bolton's need for an elected Mayor.

Mrs Stuart is perfectly entitled to her view, that one all-powerful supremo to be in charge of all the services in the borough, would solve all the problems.

Equally, however, others who have consulted widely with the people who elected them, and the people they work with through voluntary activities, are also entitled to a view.

Liberal Democrats feel that the most significant way to improve local democracy is through a fairer voting system and through more local accountability, allowing local authorities more say in how their budget is raised and spent. The present government appears to be imposing new systems on councils without allowing for local choice. Unfortunately, Mrs Stuart chose to attack the town of Horwich because she disagrees with my view on elected Mayors. Horwich may well have problems but, to say it has "deteriorated dramatically" over the years, is to talk down an area which has a great deal going for it.

The decline of the manufacturing industries was a blow but, there are still many good employers in Horwich. The arrival of the Middlebrook complex may not have been universally acclaimed, but it has given job opportunities for many -- particularly young people from a wide area.

Arena

The Horwich Parkway Station has put the town back on the railway map and has attracted a great many passengers within its first year. Alongside the station, the new arena is under construction, which will provide even more jobs and which will host the badminton events for the Commonwealth Games in 2002. Local shops were hit by the closure of the Loco works in the 1980s and are having to compete with more recent developments, but many are rising to the challenge and providing an excellent and interesting alternative to out-of-town shopping developments. There is also a "think tank" (which includes traders and local residents) looking to improve the market.

Housing in Horwich is in great demand, with new properties quickly snapped up. The council house waiting list and demand for housing association accommodation is also high, proving that residents wish to continue living in the town.

A recent article in the BEN quoted many local people who find Horwich a good place to live, in spite of recent problems. Horwich has excellent schools, which are striving to attract additional funding to improve the facilities for the Horwich and Blackrod communities. Leisure Services, the Youth Service, Residents' Associations, churches and other groups also provide activities for young people.

The Town Council are working on the new Horwich Town Guide which highlights the variety of organisations and groups working for the community and for the continual improvement of the town.

I agree whole-heartedly with Mrs Stuart when she highlights the small number of women on the present Bolton Council -- a deficit which all parties are striving to address. The present battle for the Mayoralty in London emphasizes the struggle a woman would have to become an elected mayor, with only Susan Kramer (Liberal Democrat) in the frame. Incidentally, I am proud to be part of a Town Council in Horwich, where we have five women out of the 12 Town Councillors.

Cllr Barbara Ronson

LibDem Group Leader

Bolton MBC

Lower Makinson Fold

Horwich

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.