BOLTON council has been accused of wreaking 'blatant environmental vandalism' on an extensive piece of undeveloped land, known as The Bonks, in Westhoughton.

It stretches from Cow Lees off Molyneux Road to the rear of Bolton Road.

The unmown grass and plants, say residents, is a wildlife haven for foxes, hedgehogs, frogs and a range of birds.

But this week Bolton council moved industrial diggers on to the land and flattened a 30 feet strip of ground, to the disgust of some residents.

Brenda Leman, who has lived in Winterton Close, which backs on to the land, for more than 20 years, was so appalled she contacted the BEN.

She stormed: "I have written to the council to register my disgust at the blatant act of vandalism carried out on undeveloped land, which in itself, is a rare and precious commodity in Westhoughton."

"Bolton council has destroyed an area of natural beauty inhabited by wildlife. It has turned it into an ugly waste land covered with bricks and debris from its activities." She said council officials told her that they cleared the land because of problems with rubbish. But she dismissed this as a "spurious excuse."

"Any rubbish was mostly garden material, which would have been absorbed into the vegetation and anyway it caused no offence."

Affluence

She added: "It's also worth mentioning that the Molyneux estate has recently become a target for the riff raff of Westhoughton. They resent the reasonable level of affluence enjoyed by residents, and by its actions, the council has provided these people with easier access to the estate and ammunition, that is, the bricks that the tractors have dug up when clearing the land."

Mrs Leman further objects to the large signs that have been erected on the land.

"The signs not only inflict further damage on the environment, but will no doubt, within a few days, be defaced by graffiti." She said: "Finally the council has removed a right, established over many years in the neighbourhood, to use this land.

"As a council committed to diversity

and particularly to bio-diversity, its actions are disgraceful, and I presume, extremely expensive."

She is demanding that the council provide a full explanation of why it has spent tax payers' money "on destroying an area of land that has given pleasure for many, many years. And all this without any warning or consultation."

A spokesman for the council, said: "The decision was taken to cut back the strip of land to try to curb the illegal tipping after residents complained. People living near the area said there was vermin in the rubbish and that it was attracting flies and causing a nuisance. We are hoping that now it has been cleared it will help deter people from dumping any more rubbish. No Tipping signs have also been erected and the area is to be grassed."9

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