THE mid-1800s was England's finest time for engineering with excellent examples to be found the reservoirs at Lowercroft and Elton Vale. Built for the Elton Cop mill, they were the lifeblood of the cotton and bleach works they served in Bury. Today, these magnificent waters exist under constant threat of closure.

Recent stringent additions to the 1975 Reservoirs Act makes maintenance difficult and expensive. Reservoirs the length and breadth of the country are being lost for ever. And during the next 12 months in Bury up to six are likely to be culverted and filled in.

The Lowercroft and Elton Vale waters sustain some of the very best fishing in Lancashire but access has never been easy. The reservoirs will stand or fall by the revenue generated from angling: there is no other form of income from these waters.

In our quest to breathe new life into all the reservoirs, we identified access as our first priority. The middle reservoir at Lowercroft, the south side (Ainsworth) and the north side (Walshaw), were considered the most suitable sites for car parking and close access to the water, after considering all alternatives.

In order to achieve our objectives, a series of hurdles need to be overcome.

The area in question is green belt land, and we need permission to create a track and car parking from the respective owners. Negotiations are on-going. The track directly off Slaidburn Drive and Old Barn Lane will need to be upgraded from their present rather poor state. All our plans, which include 10 fishing pegs for disabled anglers and parking for 25 cars on each side of the middle reservoir, will be submitted to Bury Council before the end of January.

I have been told by members of Bury Council that they will not accept the ownership or maintenance of the reservoirs; it would be onerous and an unjustifiable use of council tax. However, as a metropolitan authority, Bury Council do have access to certain grants and we will endeavour to obtain any funds for which the waters and adjacent tracks qualify.

Angling has changed comprehensively in recent times. Commercial fisheries are now very much in evidence throughout the country and within a 20-mile radius of Bury there are both Pendle Fisheries and Pennine Fisheries. Such waters offer easy access and have additional facilities such as a shop and toilets, resources which were hitherto unknown.

These commercial fisheries are increasing and are drawing members away from local angling clubs. At Elton Vale (Parkers) we are hoping to compete head-to-head with such commercial fisheries. At Lowercroft (Whiteheads) the newly-created tracks and car parking at the water's edge will be a significant factor in drawing-in anglers. If our planning application is successful at Whiteheads, parking will be restricted to the new car parks only. Access to the waters via Bowland Close, Lowercroft (a public right-of-way) will be pedestrian only.

Of the five reservoirs in question two will be for specialist fishing (carp, bream and tench) and the others for general angling. Fishing matches as well as both winter and summer league matches will be available.

The scenery surrounding these waters makes the area one of outstanding natural beauty, and in making this application to develop the site for controlled recreational use we are endeavouring to retain all that beauty which nature has provided. To their great credit, Radcliffe Angling Society have stocked the waters at Whiteheads on a regular basis, while Bury Anglers did the same at Parkers. We are trying to build on their efforts and secure angling for present and future generations.

Our aim is to create angling facilities for local people which are the equal (or even better) than those enjoyed in other parts of the country.

K. E. TALBOT