PARTINGTON'S expansion in the 1960s was due to massive industry like Shell, the Central Electricity Generating Board and the gas works. We had the Greyhound, King Billy and The Squire pubs, the gas works and the power station clubs even the Shell Club, the Legion and of course the Labour clubs.

We could jump onto a train or even onto a regular bus service leaving Partington in different directions. You could get onto a small ferryboat and visit other communities and their facilities.

On a Saturday, you could do your entire shopping at a bustling shopping centre and open market. You could, on your days off, take your children walking past fields of golden corn - my God this was the place to settle and raise a family.

Well the big industry has now gone and they seem to have taken all our facilities with them.

In 1998, this community was given a five year regeneration package to help rebuild our community. The five years are virtually up now and personally I do not see one visual improvement to Partington, nor do I see any packages for people who actually get up every morning and go to work - these are the people who really struggle and need to be subsidised.

Even future plans to help regenerate this community and its facilities seem to have a sting in the tail or a certain price to pay. I personally believe the proposed Trafford Interchange would have solved all our problems - big industry but without the health risks, with the added bonus of long term employment. But of course the more prosperous surrounding communities seem to think differently.

These surrounding communities who find it convenient to use Partington as a cut through and then look down their noses at us when they pass by.

I truly believe that Partington will improve but this decision and the way the decision is made must be left for the community and its elected leaders to decide, not our local authority or developers or even one single community group.

Whatever decisions are made concerning new builds in Partington, all I ask is that developers bear two words in mind, supply and demand.

I would be very interested to see what my fellow Partonions feel about my letter.

Wayne Edwards, River Lane, Partington