FURTHER to my letter (HAS, May 11) and that of Edward Halliday (HAS, May 9), I read the article by Mark Tallentire in which Durham County Council responded to the criticism heaped upon it regarding the Market Place and city centre regeneration (Echo, May 13).
Ian Thompson, DCC’s corporate director for regeneration and economic development, says that the improvements would “maximise economic benefits and move Durham forward in a respectful way”.
Can I ask Mr Thompson to explain, in simple terms, how this will work? What exactly will the economic benefits be?
What will Durham City have after the work is completed that it didn’t have previously?
Nothing comes to mind.
Durham traders will be lucky to recoup the losses incurred as a result of reduced visitor numbers during the disruption, never mind seeing an upturn in trade going forward.
Blaming the delays on bad weather and skeletons is a bit pathetic, too. Only this week, contractors have dug up a large section of new paving in the Market Place. Parts of Silver Street have also been dug up more than once.
John Watson, Durham.
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