I WOULD like to thank everyone who attended the specially-convened meeting of the Bury Area West Board at Lowercroft Primary School on May 6.

Although I understand fully the fears and concerns of the home-owners who feel they will be adversely affected by our proposed planning applications, I am certain that I have tried my utmost to allay their fears and to explain our proposals for "breathing new life" into the reservoirs at Elton Vale (Parker's) and Lowercroft (Whitehead's).

An article in Lancashire Life magazine in November 2001 describes the objectives of the campaign group Save the Lodges: particularly their desire for closer co-operation with Bury Council. Unfortunately Bury Council cannot make a financial commitment to the lodges and grants from other sources are unavailable. So, in order for the lodges not to meet the same sad end that others have, we have placed with Bury Council our proposals to attract anglers to the waters. These plans are the way to generate an income by which the reservoirs will be kept open: indeed, to "save" the lodges.

The safety of the dams is the prime concern of any owner of reservoirs. In September, the Environment Agency will be the body appointed by the Government to take charge of reservoirs throughout the country. Any reservoir owner faces criminal charges if he does not carry out his legal obligations as defined in the 1975 Reservoirs Act. At Lowercroft, there are three impounding reservoirs while at Elton Vale one of the two comes under the Reservoirs Act.

I have said many times that I would not support the building of houses on any of the fields at Lowercroft which are, in effect, the bankings of the reservoirs. If the reservoirs and bankings could be deemed an area of outstanding beauty within Bury's Unitary Development Plan (UDP), they would be afforded greater protection from potential developers. In time, the area may be classified as a country park area extending towards the West Pennine Moors.

We are trying to create modern facilities to build upon recreational angling which has taken place at Parker's and Whitehead's lodges for generations. Dennis Eckersall, secretary of Radcliffe Anglers for 27 years, said that when he ran charity matches at Whitehead's, there were 200 fishing pegs used and more than 80 cars parked close to Meadowcroft Farm. At Parker's lodges big matches used more than 40 pegs and entrance and exit is available over Diggle Lane, and always has been.

I have tried over many weeks to inform people of the difficulties ahead of us as we try to stave-off closure of these wonderful waters. We need help and co-operation if we are to succeed. Please be in no doubt: if, as owners of the reservoirs, we are financially unable to maintain them to the legal standard, their closure and filling-in will be forced upon us by the Environment Agency.

K. E. TALBOT,

Lowercroft Fisheries.