Letter: Brookside centre is an eyesore not the whole estate

Whilst Brookside local centre is undoubtedly an eyesore – hence the regeneration project – the whole of the estate certainly is not.

Just like any other housing estate, there are houses and flats that were built ugly and could only be improved with a wrecking ball but the majority of Brookside is well-maintained and people take pride in where they live.

• Demolition of eyesore Telford estate is to start

The trees are starting to blossom and the many thousands of daffodils planted around Brookside Avenue are flowering.

At this time of year you could easily forget that you were on a neglected 1970s housing estate. The regeneration of Brookside Centre is long overdue and will hopefully breathe new life into the local economy and drive social regeneration but it is only the local centre, not the whole estate.

After years of neglect by Telford & Wrekin Council it would have been easy for Brookside residents to sit back and say "well if they can't be bothered, why should we" but they didn't and this regeneration scheme and the choice of Brookside as the pilot area for the co-operative council scheme is a testament to that.

So by all means describe the local centre as an eyesore but don't please talk down the whole of Brookside and dismiss the efforts of local residents to improve their local environment with little or no support from the borough council.

Councillor Stuart Parr

Ukip

Brookside