Letter: Dying town needs attractions

Letter: As a Shrewsbury lad born and bred I am appalled by the scrapping of plans to remove noise restrictions in the Quarry as the council has indicated it would cost it as much as £2,000 (Shropshire Star, May 20).

Such a paltry amount pales into insignificance when one considers the £20,000 pay rise given to the new head of the council and the millions wasted on the Darwin concrete eyesore and the fourth improvement of Harlescott crossroads.

Shrewsbury is dying and has become a ghost town with an unprecedented number of boarded up shops (and charity shops). With footfall dropping Shrewsbury needs schemes to attract people who are being put off coming by the cost of parking and gridlocked access.

The nimby members of the town residents' association must also shoulder considerable blame by opposing anything that may bring life to the town.

These people for so long have put the self-interest of the few before the overall interests of the town and its long suffering tradespeople. We live in a changing world and in order to survive Shrewsbury, in the words of Darwin, "needs to evolve".

Live music in the Quarry is a good thing and like the flower show will bring people and revenue to the town.

If the minute sum of £2,000 is too much for the authority to bear, might I suggest that the new head of the council takes the lead of ministers who have agreed a five per cent pay cut.

A one per cent pay cut by our council head would fund this.

A D France

Shrewsbury