THE proposed busway linking Leigh to Manchester via Ellenbrook is just about the best idea to have come since the railways proved to be too expensive to run.

At last Leigh and Tyldesley, plus all the adjacent estates, will have a direct link to a major city, three cities in fact.

In the near future the Commonwealth Games will be sited there - and also the access to the out of town shops proposed as well as the first class entertainment and culture centres.

As regards the loss of footpaths and bridleways well there will always be pleanty of routes left over for these pastimes.

This idea of a direct link is crucial as regards reducing congestion on several roads. The green lobby and environmentalists will note that alongside the proposed route are recovered sites of collieries burning colliery slag and urban district council refuse tips all the way to Salford.

The wildlife such as there has ever been is used to noise, traffic, smells etc and opencast mines. They won't mind.

In fact there could be an advantage for wildlife with more grass verges.

As for noise, it doesn't matter where you live, or how far from roads you live, there is no escape from 1998 noise - road traffic, security sirens, police, ambulance. When all this falls quiet towards dusk there is aircraft passing over all night.

What should be done is to extend the busway to Wigan that would help both directions.

Why not allow private cars only to use this link and pay a toll?

The benefits over the years of a scheme such as this at this time seems good - but in fact we could easily underestimate the value and importance of such a route. We don't want to be in the backwoods. Get it built.

Peter Graham

Athol Crescent,

Hindley Green.

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