BEFORE we get the flags out to welcome Sainsbury's to Westhoughton, we should remember the old saying, "beware of Greeks bearing gifts".
Do we want more cars coming in to the centre of the town? We have a 19th century infrastructure and a 21st century problem - traffic.
How does the supermarket fit in with the council's plans for Market Street and the market?
Are people going to walk across Cricketers Way to shop on Market Street?
What will be the effect on the shops in Pavilion Square? Would the Co-op stay? Would the rest of the shops follow?
This is the worst possible outcome, but one that could happen.
The cricket club, like Sainsbury's, is 10 or more years behind the game. When we wanted a major supermarket, no one wanted to know. Most cricket clubs have been refurbished - one only has to look at Daisy Hill to see what can be done.
The last time the cricket club tried to sell the ground, it was said that some of the money would go to Westhoughton for improvements to the sporting amenities in the town - after all, the land was given to the people of Westhoughton by a covenant. Is this still the case?
If so, I think the money should go to Westhoughton Council, and not disappear in to the main budget (Bolton). The sporting amenities in Westhoughton have been neglected for years - as has Westhoughton.
Lawrence Owens Bamber Croft Westhoughton
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