I WAS interested to read Kathleen Gee's letter regarding the proposed new tower block and car park for Bury town centre ('Make your feelings known over £70m building plans', Letters, December 29)

In recent years, Bury Council has brought most of its parks and gardens up to scratch.

They are excellent. I had wondered, though, why both Pyramid Park and the green space opposite the town hall on Knowsley Street have been neglected, with uncleared rubbish, dumped supermarket trolleys in the water and no new planting or garden maintenance work.

Now the reason is clear. If an open space is deliberately run down for a number of years, so that it becomes an eyesore, the authorities have a ready excuse to build over it, knowing that few people will object. I suspect that is what has happened here.

As your correspondent says, what the council should be doing is preserving this patch of green space, and - like councils across Europe - linking it with other public spaces to form 'green corridors' and 'linear parks'.

Building a high-rise block on this site would be pure vandalism. The proposed 'inner city-type' buildings are entirely out of character with Bury's Pennine heritage.

Anyone who has arrived by train in Sheffield will know the depressing feeling one has on seeing the huge tower blocks overlooking the station. Do we really want those arriving by tram or bus in Bury to feel the same? Of course not.

The planners and developers have their own agenda.

This has little to do with building sustainable communities and preserving open space, and everything to do with money.

I have made my objections to the council by email to planning@bury.gov.uk and I suggest other residents do the same, before it is too late.

MARK ENGLISH

Radcliffe