THE future of Cockey Moor and Whitehead Lodges looks set to be given an airing in the House of Commons.

Residents fear that the lodges, which are currently up for sale, could be drained by a future landowner to open the site up for development and avoid insurance costs.

After Bury North MP David Chaytor was contacted by the newly-formed Friends of Cockey Moor and Whitehead Lodges group, he pledged his support to their campaign.

Mr Chaytor says he now plans to ask a parliamentary question about future planning powers to prevent such drainage.

While attempts to have the reservoirs recognised as protected wildlife area were important in the immediate future, said Mr Chaytor, wider planning laws needed to be looked at. He added: "The long-term job that interests me is the whole question of how we can look at regulations regarding the lodges, and the fact that owners could drain them without going through any procedure whatsoever.

"A lot of lodges are hugely attractive and are important as amenities and wildlife resources, but they can be a huge liability to owners.

"There is a parliamentary issue here regarding the lack of regulations. This is a big issue for traditional textile towns."

Referring to the recent controversy over Barracks Lodge, where developers wanted to build on a similar nature spot, Mr Chaytor said: "It's crazy to have to go through that when, if there were proper procedures with regard to drainage, we could have avoided it."

Mrs Elaine Shirt, chairman of the Friends of Cockey Moor and Whitehead Lodges, said: "I think that having the support of the local MP is wonderful for us.

"He has been very sympathetic and has understood where we are coming from. Any question in Parliament will highlight the fact that this situation is happening throughout the country."

Mrs Shirt also plans to meet Bury South MP Ivan Lewis in the near future.

The group have been busy gathering information for the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit, who are compiling a report on wildlife in the lodges.

There are hopes that a positive response from the unit will allow the reservoir area to be designated as a site of biological importance.

Already their survey has has indicated that there are 71 bird species on the lodges, 13 types of butterfly and eight dragonfly varieties.