I WRITE in reply to 'Concerned Leigh resident' regarding Xanadu.

I couldn't see Xanadu from my house unless I abseiled from the roof and the property won't be devalued because it's my home.

The reason I would want Xanadu moved is so that people in Leigh who do want it, can use it. Personally I don't want it at all, anywhere. Your 10 minute drive to the M6 will take a lot longer than that when it's full of traffic. And plant more trees, where?

My objections are, first, the pollution. Leigh is in a hollow, and bronchitis and chest complaints are high in our area. What sort of damage would 6,000 vehicles a day do, especially to the children who have asthma, never mind the stuff Xanadu will pump out in to the air and in to our water systems. You don't have to live in Leigh to be concerned about this Earth. I live in Leigh, but I worry about the rain forests.

Second, and for me just as important, wildlife. We have an ecology in these fields that is part of the whole system. Trees give life to everything, the list is too long to print. And I have counted 55 species of birds in these fields this year.

The things that really makes me sick is the thought of all the hedgehogs. They thrive in this bit of countryside. What will happen to them? I'll tell you what, they will be murdered in their beds!

We are all part of a giant jigsaw of life. Take away some of the pieces and we may survive. Take away too many and we will be on the downward slippery slope, but not I hope on Xanadu.

Really concerned FOR Leigh residents

(Name and address supplied)

Previous news story

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