BILL Smith's letter seems ill-informed about the fires at the former Willow Community school on the Marsh.

Firstly, let me make it absolutely clear that I totally condemn these fires.

There was considerable distress caused to local residents on the Marsh Estate and on Willow Lane.

And not only that, such incidents bring down the reputation of the Marsh area at a time when a number of positive improvements are either completed or in the pipeline (traffic calming, new play areas, new school buildings, community centre close to becoming reality).

However, I do believe that one or both of these fires could have been prevented.

Firstly, through action by the demolition company.

They were given access to the school at Easter on the understanding that they demolish the school quickly in order to prevent fires and people injuring themselves in the empty building.

Nothing happened even after the company was requested to get on with their work two weeks before the fires.

And secondly, through better action by the police.

They were informed on the Monday that the school was to be burned that night.

Sure enough, the school got burned but it was put out before too much damage was done.

I would have thought that this would have been sufficient warning as to the risks of fire.

But it seems not, as the school was burnt properly on the Tuesday night.

This was a much larger fire than before.

It took at least three fire engines (leaving no local cover for the rest of the district) and a large number of police to deal with the incident.

I know that police resources are limited, but the fire could have been prevented by placing one or two police officers at the school on that evening.

Regrettable as these fires are, areas such as the Marsh will only get truly sorted out if there is training and educational opportunities for the people there.

The fact that there are no community facilities on the Marsh is a sad indictment of the area's past.

I have recently been working extremely hard to complete the business plan that is needed to get the money from the City Council and the Single Regeneration Budget for the new Marsh community centre.

The business plan will be agreed by the trustees in early June and I am optimistic that work can start on the building in the Autumn.

Mr Smith can rest assured that I, and many other people in the Marsh area, have absolutely no intention of allowing the residents of the Marsh to remain without a centre for training and recreation for much longer.

Cllr Jon Barry

WillowLane

Lancaster