SIR: As you reported (BEN, January 30), the Lever Park Bill has been delayed in Parliament. I hope this will allow more time for public discussion and lead to more open debate.

January 30 was also the deadline for submitting petitions opposed to the Bill to Parliament, and it may have been coincidence that North West Water were advertising an exhibition of their proposals for Lever Park, to be held at Rivington Hall Barn on February 1.

It is timing like this that has led to the widespread belief that NWW would like their Bill passed without any discussion. It has also been suggested that to oppose the Bill is to be ungrateful for NWW's proposed generosity. Petitions and opposition groups are growing daily.

The future of Lever Park needs to be discussed openly, calmly and democratically. There is a real fear that, as out utilities are now open to global takeovers, the park could end up being owned by a foreign company, with the prospect of it becoming one vast corporate hospitality area. It would be ironic if the Japanese gardens became literally that.

Placing the whole area in the hands of an independent trust would be one way to guarantee its future. Safeguards need to be put in place and all options must be discussed before any laws are changed.

Mick Davies

Ashfield Road, Anderton

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