THIS is all very disturbing. Just who exactly in the council has decided that the Cow Field Oldfield Brow 'site must be overhauled for "financial reasons" ' ?

This word "overhauled" is very Orwellian and "Management speak" - what exactly does it mean ?

An open field with a small amount of children's play equipment on it does not need "overhauling", especially if some local people have been looking after it. The play equipment all seemed in good order when I looked at it a few days ago.

Or is the truth that the council is so short of cash that it is willing to trash what to them is a trivial bit of green space just to fill a cash hole ?

They have just spent what must be a large amount of cash on re-surfacing the lengthy footpath from Gorsey Lane/Oldfield Road to Norman Road and the new houses near the "Setanta"glass warehouse. And this when we need more potholes fixing ! If they wanted a footpath to do, it should have been the quite well-used much shorter one from opposite Walton Road to Harrington Road which is a disgusting quagmire in wet weather.

Back to Cow Field; this seems another example of the urban planner's mindset that any green space just cannot be left in peace, but instead must be developed with something or other. I consider it should be left alone - John Leigh Park is too far away for Oldfield Brow children to walk to for play. The community allotments idea is really brilliant - at a stroke we would then have something to involve local people which would produce some locally grown food as well as flowers,etc., and could involve the adjoining Primary School in first hand learning about nature and food. Win win all round ? How about it, Council ?

Peter Thompson

Oldfield Brow