FURTHER to Edward Halliday’s letter (HAS, May 9), can I say that I totally agree with everything he says about Durham Market Place.

He asks what we have got for our £5m.

Well, we have seen the statue moved and re-coloured. We have got a featureless paved Market Place which could turn into a sloping ice-rink next winter.

We have got continued disruption to most of the historic city centre, which has lasted considerably longer than anyone anticipated.

We have got a more uneven surface across the centre of Framwellgate Bridge and Silver Street than we had before the work started.

We have got awful seating, totally out of character for the location, but which double up as litter bins, as they are ideal for stuffing chip papers and plastic bottles between the slats.

We have got a new traffic management system in place through Saddler Street and up towards the Cathedral.

It is called a “free for all”, and basically means traffic in both directions can compete for road and footpath space with pedestrians. There is no clear distinction between road and path, and anyone with impaired vision will have real problems.

We have also got, and had, tons and tons of temporary tarmac, concrete, barriers, noise and works vehicles blighting our once beautiful city centre.

Well done Durham County Council for a project well managed – I don’t think so.

John Watson, Durham.