I WAS really saddened to read the report about Lindow Moss in the Guardian last week. The expert called in to review the area said it had been destroyed as a habitat for wildlife by the continual peat extraction and the tiny water vole which lived there is now virtually extinct on the site.

Lindow Common is also known as Saltersley Common and is a rare raised peat bog. The Saltersley Common Preservation Society and Cheshire Wildlife Trust have both raised concerns about the amount of peat removed from the site with Cheshire East Council.

The council took over monitoring of the site in 2009 from the old County Council who had given permission for peat extraction at the site, but only if 51 conditions, yes that's right, 51 conditions were complied with.

Croghan Peat Industries, from Somerset, who purchased the site in the late 1990s, has pretty much ignored all of them. How can this be? They continue with peat mining on an industrial scale and not only has this had a devastating effect on wildlife, the area was described by the expert as a wildlife desert, it has also, according to the Wildlife Trust, badly affected the local water table.

We have been told there are planning applications which split the site into two distinct areas. One parcel of land would see peat extraction halted and a wildlife haven restored, the other plot is for 14 detached homes to be built.

Apparently peat mining would only end if permission is granted to build the new homes. Now this sounds a bit like blackmail to me. And It's as if the company is now deliberately mining the area to within an inch of its natural life to put pressure on so that planning permission for the homes is granted. Or maybe they are just getting as much monetary value out of the land before they stop mining.

Cheshire East say they are awaiting further information from the proposed developers about the site and that no date has been set to put the planning applications before councillors.

This just isn't good enough, in the meantime this rare natural habitat is being literally destroyed. They say they are monitoring the site, but they are clearly not doing a very good job of it.

Croghan Estates continue to arrogantly ignore or refuse meetings with local groups. Come on local councillors, it's time you got more involved to bring this situation to a head.

I walk all around this area and it's jaw dropping when you see the wanton damage that has been inflicted on the Moss. It looks like a scene after a bomb has dropped and is very, very sad.

It couldn't contrast more vividly with what I consider to be the over-management of Lindow Common. Here rules and regulations control the habitat almost manically. Incidentally I will be taking up the offer to attend the next meeting of the Common's working group, so do let me have any questions you would like to put to them.

And let's put pressure on local councillors to save Lindow Moss...