Leading us up a blind alley?

This all sounds excellent but does not address the fundamental question. Will the town prosper with a new shopping mall or will it be a white elephant? I am very fortunate in being one of the councillors representing the interests of the town centre. I have been in contact with many residents in the last couple of years; residents both living in the near vicinity as well as further afield. Not one of those people thinks a new shopping mall is right for the town. Now they may all be wrong and the experts with their crystal balls may be offering the best solution. On the other hand, these concerns continue unaddressed and residents largely remain unconvinced.

The council continues to assume that the reasoning behind the development is a done deal and that further discussion does not need to take place. In the past, I have asked for public discussion to be facilitated to no avail.

We are also being offered the continuing mantra of “high street first”. There is nothing wrong with this approach and it is indeed a worthy government policy. But we need to look at the reality; most of us like out of town shopping; we are not forced to shop out of town. I am sure when Debenhams opens later on this year it will be very popular with shoppers. Yes it is true that the “high street” needs careful planning if it is to thrive. However, just thinking retail is the answer is leading us up a blind alley. Leamington is popular because it is distinctive, distinctive with a capital D. And we need to keep it that way in any planned developments.

If we are going to lose this attractive open space (yes, the developers are wrong when they say it is just a car park), residents need to be convinced that it will be an asset to the town. It’s up to our political leaders on the council to convince the town’s residents.

Jerry Weber, Councillor Leamington Clarendon