[Acrylic-bob]

>>I would question the planting and erosion. Horses and access rights have come under a big spotlight as well and most of the top of coppice is plantation free and Arden Hall is a natural and varied ecosystem. And the paths there are abysmal. The cost of maintenance of the historic plantation road is beyond the council and at meetings we hold, people want some investment and it saving.<<

On the question of maintenance, or rather the lack of it, neither party, in my opinion, has anything to crow about. The current state of dereliction in our parks and open spaces is the legacy of decades of underfunding and neglect for which the labour group is equally as responsible as the conservative group.

There is however, a largley untapped resource that might be turned to the benefit of our green areas. The Magistrature appear to be only too willing to hand out Community Service Orders to offenders, could some of these not be directed at reversing the effects of the council's neglect? The costs would be a good deal less than having that well known oxymoron Hyndburn Works doing it. After all, how much does a brush and shovel cost?

I am sure that it would go some way to inculcating a sense of pride, achievement and ownership in the people who worked on such projects and it would also be more healthier for them than sorting filthy clothes in charity shops.

I also think more of an attempt to involve youth groups in reclamation projects would be helpful in countering the "I smashed it because I was bored" mentality prevalent in so many young people. Could there be any objection to nominating parcels of public open space to schools as an area for which their pupils have some of the responsibility for maintenance, in the manner of sponsorship or stewardship. It strikes me that a lot of the problem with vandalism in these areas is because they are not seen by young people as belonging to anyone in particular.