FRIENDS of the Earth have pulled out of Bolton's Environment Forum after dubbing the Council initiative "a sham" and "a waste of time."

The shock decision by FoE co-ordinator, Dennis Watson to resign from the Forum steering committee comes on the eve of the town's Environment Week.

Mr Watson said the attitude of the council to waste management and recycling makes a mockery of Environment Week.

That starts on Friday, when marquees and events will be held promoting the town's Local Agenda 21 - an environmental blueprint for the future.

In a letter to Bolton Planning Chief, Ray Jefferson Mr Watson says the philosophy of the council and FoE are "poles apart" and they are "speaking different languages".

He goes on: "Our experience of working with the Environment Team has convinced us that there are a number of very able and enthusiastic people already employed by Bolton Council who would respond readily to encouragement and direction from the top.

"Unfortunately they are not getting this guidance and the council's leadership is obsessed with unsustainable projects such as Red Moss tip and traffic-promoting out-of-town developments.

"The council's approval of these projects and their lack of specific targets for recycling, reduction of waste, energy use, carbon dioxide, traffic and pollution, detailed strategy for their achievement are clear indications of the hollowness of the council's sustainable development policy."

The forum was launched at a well attended meeting in July 1994 aiming to promote initiatives to improve the town's environment and clean up the planet.

But Mr Watson said there has been little progress and the forum has been nothing more than a "green veneer" for the council to give the impression that they care about the environment.

Mr Watson also cited the council's failure to enforce its own planning contravention notice to stop the controversial clinical waste incinerator at Bolton General Hospital.

He said: "There was a lot of heart searching before reaching this decision because we would prefer to talk across the table but it has just not proved possible.

"We will of course continue to have dealings with the council but it will be on a more confrontational basis when we would have preferred it to be in the spirit of co-operation."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.