STATELY Developments have apparently decided that they would rather save money by avoiding a public inquiry to deal with the question of planning consent on the Barracks lodge site, off Newington Drive, Bury.

Readers will have seen in the Bury Times that this lodge has been subjected to what is virtually corporate vandalism, which must come at a price. Stately have now asked the Planning Inspectorate for an informal hearing, a means by which planning appeals with little or no public interest are heard and which are normally held in small committee rooms. Bury planners have already told the Planning Inspectorate that they should expect a great deal of third party interest in this matter. A telephone call to the Inspectorate has revealed that they are saying no to a public inquiry. It seems they need evidence that local people want to come to the appeal and to speak, if only to say why they value the amenity of the lodge. "People power" is therefore needed.

Anyone wanting to attend the appeal should write to: The Planning Inspectorate, Room 10/23, Tollgate House, Bristol BS2 9DJ. They should quote reference APP/T4210/A/99/1024461 and should simply add that they intend to attend the appeal and would like a formal public inquiry to be held, mentioning of course how they feel about the lodge and the development proposals. There is no need to write a long letter.

DAVE BENTLEY, Wolsey Close, Radcliffe.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.