Thinking of leaving place I used to love

10:43am Thursday 20th December 2007

I WOULD like to ask what the heck St Helens Council think they are playing at with regards to the absolute mess they have now left Sutton Mill Dam in?

Several residents I have talked to have expressed their outrage and disgust at the so called work' that has been done. The paths are now totally impassable, being churned up by machinery. Practically 70 per cent or more of the trees have been cut down and left strewn about the place or shredded and the piles just left.

There is now barely any place for the birds and other wildlife and all the fences to the houses are left exposed.

Given that the place is a complete mess, avoided by the many people who used to use it as a place to walk. I suppose that in their efforts to look after the minorities, the council have at least ensured any criminal or vandal element can now patrol around the backs of houses without danger of being seen by other members of the public. Plus they now have easy and unrestricted access to the backs of the houses along the entire estate as not only are the trees ripped up, so are any bramble bushes and nettles that would act as a barrier.

I cannot fathom the mentality of the people who make these decisions, spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on stupid bits of sculpture around the town centre to promote' the town while systematically destroying the few bits of green that are left in the town.

I doubt very much that any visitor would be impressed with the mess around here, but then, it strikes me that the council themselves really do not care for anything beyond the confines of the town centre. The local councillors need to deal with the wants and needs of the neighbourhood .

I have lived here for more than 25 years, but as things deteriorate and we are surrounded by more and more retail and industrial estates I find myself thinking the best thing to do is to move away from an area I used to love and be proud of.

I'm sure there will be a weak and trite answer either denying responsibility or hiding behind some supercilious statement to rebuff' this situation. Over the last five years, Sutton Mill Dam has gone from a place to be proud of to a place that is anything but.

AN angry resident (full name and address supplied)