I AND many others are in total agreement with MPs Terry Lewis and Lawrence Cunliffe in asking for re-nationalisation of buses and trains.

What an irony that, when the New Labour Government (I am not New Labour) is supposedly planning a transport policy, the privatised "First Bus" company informs its employees it is closing down Howe Bridge depot.

This change means buses garaged outside the locality will have to be returned to the area along already overloaded highways early in the morning. This process will be reversed at night.

The closing of Howe Bridge depot is reported as a shock! I heard rumour of its demise more than 12 months ago and mention that the site was to be redeveloped by prominent house builders.

We have enough housing in Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley. We are all fed-up of our institutions being sold, demolished and replaced with unwanted and unnecessary housing.

Local councillors cannot prohibit the selling of privately owned local amenities, but I am sure when it comes to granting planning permission then they have the power to influence the replacement.

There is an open forum of the Local Transport Group (First Bus may attend) at 10.30am on Friday, January 30 at the Derby Room at Leigh Library.

Please come along and say 'neigh' into the horse's mouth.

Frank Parkinson

Birch Street

Tyldesley

Local Transport Group member.

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