IN response to the letter published recently, it is heartening to know that the residents of Holcombe and Douglas Avenue are at last taking a positive interest in Elton Vale Valley as, despite two written invitations to meet with the Elton Vale Valley Committee, very few have accepted and come to talk to us. The committee is completely separate and independent from the Diggle Lane Allotment Association Committee.

Those residents who have come round to meet us realise that we are working to protect, not redevelop, the Valley, and have given us valuable information and suggestions as well as full support to try and achieve these aims.

Indeed, if the correspondent had done the same then it would be clear to see we share the same aims — to fully protect the Valley and its wildlife against residential or commercial development or even, worse still, to be used for landfill.

He would then also know that we have already been working closely with Bury Council’s wildlife officer and had on site meetings with Lancashire Wildlife Trust for some months so as to involve them and to protect the wildlife in the valley. He should know from the information in the letters delivered that we have our own wildlife watch and have produced information on sightings and monitored any deterioration or fly-tipping in the area.

Equally, Proffitts and Morris Homes, both of whom have enviable records of working with communities and of being environmentally conscious, would not risk any damage to their reputations by doing anything that was contrary to protection of the wildlife in the valley.

The committee has planted over two dozen Heritage Native English Trees, cleared over three tonnes of accumulated debris and sowed around 200,000 wildflower seeds in the valley, as recently reported in the Bury Times.

We have encouraged the residents in both Avenues to do the same, even supplying the seeds to the residents.

It is clear from the above actions that it is our intent to keep the valley firmly out of reach of developers or landfill operators where, having fought off proposals for such developments before, we know how vulnerable this valley is, particularly in the current economic climate where councils across the country are looking to sell off little used public land to bring in income and balance the budget shortfalls.

We want to work and liaise with all the residents in Elton to ensure the valley remains intact and supportive of the flora and fauna within it.

Your ideas and suggestions are valuable to us, hence the independent questionnaire to local residents.

We are reassured by the correspondent that it is important to them in protecting the valley to the benefit of future generations.

We would be very interested in the correspondent’s “investigative” evidence that he purports to be contrary to those aims.

The previous invitations for residents to come and talk to us and tell us of concerns still remain open.

The valley committee is on the adjoining allotment site every Sunday from 10am to noon.Elton Vale Valley Committee