Riding roughshod over our wishes

So the new Leamington town centre manager David Butler commenting on the Clarendon Arcade project in the Courier, June 1, says ‘ We’re broadly in support of it ...Maybe it’s not a question of persuading people, it’s a question of making sure everybody understands the whole picture. The major retailers (just who exactly?) want a specific type of premises that’s not available in the Parade.’(sic)

He is giving notice, it appears, that the council will once more ride roughshod over the wishes and desires of those who live here and are expected to spend their money the town centre.

Mr Butler should heed his own comment ‘if you’re not moving forwards you’re moving backwards’. It is certainly a backward move to impose a 1980s type shopping centre on to this lovely town of ours.

He should instead embrace the principles applied to other town centres as shown in English Heritage’s excellent booklet ‘Retail Development in Historic Areas’ which demonstrates that modern development can fit happily into historic towns when flair and imagination prevail. - Anne Piper, via email.