IS councillor Neil Foster speaking as a Durham County Council cabinet member, rather than for the people of Spennymoor, when he says that he is in favour of the Electrolux site being redeveloped for 425 houses and a retail unit (Echo, Oct 31)?

Why has he not been pushing to have this site re-developed and kept as industrial land for spin offs from the new Hitachi plant?

I have read the leaflet prepared by the developer DTZ Leeds and, in my opinion, it is no more than propaganda.

Spennymoor already has 1,700 new houses in the pipeline. To enable people to be able to obtain mortgages, potential house buyers need secure Jobs.

I support the Durham County Plan’s aim to create an extra 30,000 jobs, with the exception that the Electrolux site should be retained for industrial usage.

I would ask the planners to listen to what the local people are telling them rather than keep building houses that many people can’t afford.

The idea of building a retail unit on the Electrolux site should be dropped immediately.

The number one priority should be to demolish Festival Walk and re-connect the High Street with traditional shops Lib Dem councillor Ben Ord, Spennymoor/Middlestone, Durham County Council.