AS a member of this close-knit area for the past 49 years, I feel obliged to air my views on a decision by certain people to transform Sankey Bridges into the backside of Warrington.

Case number one: We have had to contend with the local dump near Gatewarth and its accompanying disruption due to heavy vehicles thundering past, thus bringing both noise, air pollution and heinous odours and accompanying fly plagues to our area for more than 20 years.

Case number two: Gatewarth Sewage Treatment Plant (United Utilities). Once again with heavy vehicles for most hours of the day with a stench gently drifting over the area, thus making enjoying a nice sunny day in your garden an impossibility in certain conditions.

Case number three: So-called ‘contaminated land’ from historic ‘dumping’. At some point in the 1800s onwards this mysteriously appeared without trace to apportion blame to, so we were kindly informed it would cost us individually up to £10,000 to be replaced.

We fought this and were finally told that the levels were, in most cases, within the revised European levels and those which still were needing remedial action would not now be charged for it.

Now to the latest disaster to be thrust upon our area, the building of a link road right through houses and businesses.

People’s cherished homes strived for over many years – just to move a traffic log-jam from Bridge Foot and create another one on Sankey Expressway.

I am sure this link will be used 24 hours a day by traffic (heavy goods included) preferring to use it instead of paying to cross the new Mersey Gateway.

This will produce intrusive noise and horrendous fumes.

The only comparison which comes to mind for the idea in the first place is ‘as much use as half a scissor’.

Please think about people’s lives and health rather than what it is.

Becoming a cash register to Warrington.

Enough is enough.

GORDON D ROWE Sankey Bridges