CHRIS Green arranged a public meeting which was unnecessary.

He has claimed there is some confusion about the Loco Works development. If he genuinely feels he needs to be better informed, as an MP, all he has to do is pick up the phone and ask for an appointment with the Leader of the Council or the Director of Place.

He must know that he could have a briefing at any time.

He knows there are members of the community who have concerns about the development; he should be taking steps to alleviate those concerns, not magnifying them.

A public meeting may well generate more heat than light; light comes through calm exposition of facts.

A programme of factual exposition is in place.

The assistant director overseeing the project has been to speak to Horwich Town Council to inform councillors of the progress being made and two of those programmed to speak at the RMI have had a private meeting with the same officer.

Moreover, the liaison group, set up to keep community representatives informed, is to meet in October.

There are also plans to keep residents updated via a website.

The Horwich community is being kept informed and the liaison group, in particular, is the right forum for discussion of specific issues.

I can only think Mr Green has arranged the meeting mischievously for political reasons. He already has form on this. He made a well-publicised visit to the Loco Works with the Communities Secretary, Savid Javid.

He would be better employed to use his friendship with Mr Javid to persuade the minister to provide the funds for the road infrastructure that will be needed as the Loco Works development takes shape.

He could also persuade his Conservative colleagues to abandon their obsession with home ownership, to overcome their prejudice against social housing and to provide the funds social housing providers would be only too willing to use to build homes at an affordable rent.

The development of the Loco Works is a critical, complex, 15-year project. It is too important to be used as a pawn in a political game.

Politicians should see it as their duty to be part of the team that brings it to fruition.

Cllr Kevin McKeon

Horwich North East ward