[Acrylic-bob]

It is clear that the poll options are the same questions which were asked at the public meetings. Thus alllowing MidPennine Arts to claim the same level of support as deduced from the poll held here. If you ask leading questions, you get the answers you want, which is why leading questions are not allowed in courts of law.

For all the pretence of public consultation MidPennine and NWRDA are not in the least bit interested in what we have to say, unless of course we happen to agree with the proposal. This has been just one more of the procedural hoops through which they have to jump and as such, it is about as meaningless and vapid as the second-hand design they are eager to foist on us.

If this proposal is given planning permission we will, sooner or later, regret it. But by then it will be too late to do anything about it and a valuable and intrinsic part of Accrington's history will have been damaged beyond repair. I agree that the Coppice is in need of attention but, this sort of attention it can well do without.