I ATTENDED a site meeting and council planning meeting regarding the application for a two-storey, 12-flat development and car parking at Mill Road, Walmersley, Bury.

It was quite clear from the start of both meetings that the application had already been approved by the planning committee.

The council had refused an appeal by English Nature to defer the decision until they had investigated how this development would affect the bats, which use this area as a feeding ground and rest area, and they did not include in their conditions for approval that bats are protected by law under the 1981 Bat Act.

At the planning meeting the person speaking for the application said only that this development was for mentally ill people and that if the council did not spend the grant money, they would lose it. They did not speak about any planning issues, as the objectors did in presenting their case. Objectors were told in writing that the use that the development would be put to was not a matter to be considered under planning law.

My understanding is that since 1986 grant money to councils is not lost if not spent in that financial year. It can be carried over to the next financial year without any penalties.

Also, the attitude of Councillor Yvonne Wright towards objectors was totally uncalled for and an abuse of her privileged position, since she admitted she had not attended the site meeting in the afternoon, but had inspected the site the day before. She said she had spoken to two mental health workers who had told her that there would be no problems with mentally-ill people occupying this development.

I have personal experience of a sister and cousin who have low-level mental illness and if they do not take their medication they can cause self-inflicted injuries or become violent to others, and need constant monitoring.

This development site is in a quiet backwater of Bury, with no shops, dentist, doctor or other medical services and its access is a danger to pedestrians. These people need to be in an area which is near to a town centre where they would have all the amenities to meet their requirements.

The majority of the community of Walmersley do care for the welfare of the mentally-ill and care also that they are housed in the right location and not dumped where they can be forgotten. As such, we resent the comments on the Letters page (September 3) of the part-time vicar of Walmersley and one of his parishioners.

JOHN TYLDESLEY,

Walmersley Old Road, Bury.