IN response to Jonathan Poston and his letter (Mar 20) written after the special Prestwich Area Board meeting of March 6, I wish to point out that I did not launch into a "diatribe", as he put it.

What I did was to explain the restrictions which were placed upon councillors who serve on planning committees, since it was clear to me that some people in the audience did not understand those restrictions.

For the record, my personal position is that I was opposed to the original Tesco development on principle, as a development which was clearly intended to bring in trade along the M60.

The ward I represent on the council has suffered greatly from the misguided policies of the last Conservative Government, which boosted motorways at the expense of railways and which boosted out-of-town shopping centres at the expense of town centres. I opposed such developments and I still do. Having said that, we can't put back the clock. Tesco is here and the question is: how do we react to their proposals for expansion?

I won't have any say in that since I am not a member of the planning committee, nor am I at liberty to try and bend the will of the planning committee to correspond with my personal views. That is not allowed, nor do I believe that many people would think it proper for me to do so.

In summary, I don't like motorway-led developments and I do want to see the town centres of this borough regenerated so as to meet local requirements in the most appropriate local way. In Prestwich, that means, as far as I am concerned, regenerating the Longfield shopping precinct. That is why I have pushed the proposal for the council to re-invest its income from the Longfield into the town centre and have been very pleased to support the proposals put forward by local traders and by the council for the surrounding area.

Finally, it is ironic that the "one local councillor" who made his views known at the meeting "in support of the residents" has apparently disqualified himself from taking any part in the decision on Tesco. In fact, at the meeting he declared an interest. He explained how that arose last year and made it absolutely clear that he would not be able to take part in the decision. I don't see how that serves the interests of local residents.

It is quite easy to gain popularity by saying things people want to hear at a meeting, but it is harder thinking through, and carrying through, the decisions that will actually make things better in the long term.

COUNCILLOR DEREK BODEN,

leader of the council.