UK - Row over fluoride

LOOKING BACK: Row over fluoride in water supplies, statue's clean up and Fusiliers' parade
By Brad Marshall

A ROW has broken out between the councils of Bury and Tottington over whether water supplies should be treated with fluoride.

Tottington Council has launched a protest over the issue as it wants fluoride but says it cannot have it because of Bury's opposition.

The council claims Bury is the only one of eight authorities in the Bolton Waterworks sub area not willing to have its water supplies treated.

Consequently it has written to its Bury counterpart asking the council to reconsider its decision.

Bury's Health Committee is however recommending that the ban should stay.

The committee decided in April 1963 that fluoride should be added to to the town's drinking water to combat dental troubles among young children.

This was then supported by the town council.

However, just two years later the council threw out its fluoride plan following an anti-fluoride campaign by the now Mayor of Bury, Councillor Earnest Cockayne.

This decision meant that neighbouring areas whose water supply comes through the same pipes could not have fluoride.

Besides Tottington, these areas include Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom, Little Lever and parts of Radcliffe and Whitefield.

Nonetheless, even if Bury reversed its decision it is unlikely that the whole of Tottington will have fluoride as part of the area is supplied from Bolton which has also voted against the treatment in a town referendum.