Letter: Are Shrewsbury planners aware of town's problems?

Re: the proposition to further develop Shrewsbury town centre with department stores and more restaurants for the shoppers and customers of high-class restaurants. Has no-one told the so-called planners and developers of the problems facing them?

1. Traffic and parking problems. We've got very high parking fees and very little room already in the "Loop".

2. People are now shopping online – having their shopping delivered, and not only groceries.

3. There are 10-15 per cent of vacant shops and offices in the town. Good restaurants are not used in great numbers.

4. Out of town shopping and cafes are developing at a fast rate, where major restaurants can almost sell you anything you want.

5. People in the town have, and will have, little money to spend on luxury stores and restaurants. There are massive redundancies and cuts in salaries planned locally, the customer will have to be more careful with their money.

What we do need are new small high-tech industries in the town and area, creating jobs for Shrewsbury people.

Tourism is one of the ways ahead and people will not come to see new department stores in a medieval town.

All we seem to do is cut, cut and more cuts and come up with these mad ideas.

The only thing you will be building if you don't stop this change are soup kitchens.

John R Brown

Shrewsbury