IN the edition of December 29, a very thoughtful letter from Theresa Butler was followed by an equally interesting one from someone called JL.


Ms Butler clearly summed up why St Helens Council are forced by Government cuts to consider building on green belt land; JL demonstrated the consequences of careless planning.


Wigan is buzzing, whereas St Helens is moribund. A major reason for this is the out-of-town developments round St Helens which have sucked the life-blood from the town centre.


Developers love to build on green field sites, it is cheaper and less complicated.


Many former factory sites are left derelict for years, because the developers hope that green belt will be freed for them and they promise all kinds of benefits, which somehow never appear once the fields have been concreted over.


What kind of town do you want to see in the future? One vast housing estate, surrounded by lorry parks, where everybody gets in their car to drive to some far-flung retail park?


Where all those precious ‘jobs’, such as they are, go to people from Liverpool or Manchester?


Yes, the town needs rates and jobs, but not at the expense of the tiny bit of countryside which is left to us.


Not at the expense of more flooding and more pollution.


Future generations will look at St Helens and think, whatever were they thinking of?


If you want high value housing, then why not some luxury flats in the heart of the town?


If you want business rates, then encourage developers to create small scale industrial units scattered around the centre, use all those patches of derelict land.


Leave the green belt for our children and grandchildren to enjoy. It is their heritage.


Lorna Lyst, Newton-le-Willows