SIR: Your report on the reaction of Bolton councillors to the Lever Park Bill raises a number of issues which require clarification.

The Lever Park Bill would not give North West Water extra powers which it does not already have under the existing 1902 legislation. What it would do is allow the terraced gardens and a wider area to enjoy the same legal protection now given to Lever Park and allow us to lease our land at Rivington to a charitable trust, thus ensuring its protection for a minimum of 125 years.

Cllr Hynes is correct in his assertion that the restoration of the gardens could be carried out without the new Bill. However once the gardens are restored they have to be maintained, otherwise in another 70 years we will find ourselves in a similar position to the one we face today. The charitable trust is intended to take responsibility for the management and upkeep of the gardens. Revenue generated by the Blue Planet visitor centre will be used by the trust to help maintain the gardens and Lever Park.

Quite why Cllr Hynes thinks we should suddenly want to start holding rock festivals in Lever Park is something of a puzzle to us. We can reassure him and your readers that we have no such intentions. Indeed we took steps in the mid-1970s to halt the illegal pop festivals which were then taking place in the terraced gardens. Our position has not changed.

Sue Wright

Media Relations Manager

North West Water Limited

Dawson House, Great Sankey

Warrington

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