Padiham Greenway extension would be welcome boost

Before it was closed off, several people used to use it, for example, as a cycle-way to work at Blackburn, for instance. There were never any problems. Certainly, reading the Express, Padiham town councillors do not think the “Padiham Greenway” has caused any problems since it was created.

We feel very sure that, by extending the Padiham Greenway westwards to meet the Great Harwood cycleway, thus creating a walk and a cycleway from Burnley to Blackburn, it would be extremely beneficial for increasing the fitness and and health of people enjoying being away from the dangers of escalating amounts of traffic, and being in our beautiful, local countryside.

Mr Hanson, the owner of the critical section of the former railway track path, fears the proximity of the path will dissuade his mobile homes tenants from continuing their tenancies, with consequent loss of trade. Our conversations with his mobile homes owners do not agree with his sentiments, however. As we are told, he has recently been granted permission to put 15 more mobile homes on his site. His thinking does not appear to be logical.

We certainly have no wish for his business to suffer. A fence along the relatively short section of track adjacent to the mobile homes would surely make all the residents feel safe, as most seem to feel at the moment, we believe.

Come on, Mr Hanson, please give our local people a chance to show you what good friends they can be to you and your customers.

David W. Marshall

Simonstone