CLAIMS by residents that a former Mayor of Prestwich has been snubbed by a local businessman have been refuted.

A group of protesters in Heywood Road wrote to the Bury Times complaining about the "appalling" treatment of former County Councillor Mr Arnold. R. Holden who dedicated Holden Garden to the people of Prestwich when he was mayor.

The garden was situated in Bury New Road near the junction of Scholes Lane but, as reported in last year, accountant Tony Freeman wanted to relocate the garden to make way for his new development of offices and a Mediterranean-style restaurant.

As the new building is well on the way to completion, there has been a claim that the commemorative plaque from the garden has been thrown away, leaving no lasting reminder of Mr Holden's contribution.

Mrs Janet Meese said: "It is appalling that what was once a memorial garden left to the people of Prestwich is now going to be a car park, with no plaque to show this man was once Mayor of Prestwich, and no reminder of the memorial garden he once left us."

But Mr Freeman has hit back at the critics: "Mr Holden, who still lives in Prestwich, has been consulted about the garden every step of the way. It will be relocated to the left of the building and there will be a garden area with trees and landscaping.

"The area will be turfed with a path running through it and benches to sit on. It will have both sunny and shaded areas and will be very nice, certainly an improvement on what was there before."

Mr Freeman said that Mr Holden, who is 92 in September, has been kept informed of plans during the project and has requested that a new plaque be installed and has even provided sample wording for it, referring to the original dedication.

"Whatever Mr Holden wants he will get," added Mr Freeman, "I have really bent over backwards to accommodate people's wishes and I personally have not heard any derogatory remarks, only complimentary ones."

Mark Elton, senior valuation officer with Bury Council's property services department, has been liaising between Mr Freeman and Mr Holden and confirmed that a plaque would be replaced in Holden Garden.

He said: "The plans have been approved by the authority and I have been in consultation with Mr Holden. In fact Mr Holden is to be invited to open the garden once it is finished."

Mr Freeman is intending to move into the new first floor offices at the end of June and said the official opening of the building would be in September.

In the meantime he is in discussions with some "big" retailers regarding the ground floor but said he liked one operator's idea to turn the space into a delicatessen and Mediterranean-style restaurant.

He said: "I would hope to finalise a deal with a tenant within the next eight weeks, with an intention of opening the downstairs by early Autumn."