I am amazed at how much this playground canopy cost! It is clearly out of place and serves neither an aesthetic nor functional purpose. Why didn t the council put in trees to match the renovations previously carried out? It is just another mismatched at

I am amazed at how much this 'playground' canopy cost! It is clearly out of place and serves neither an aesthetic nor functional purpose.

Why didn't the council put in trees to match the renovations previously carried out? It is just another mismatched attempt to pretty up our horrid town centre. When are the council going to upgrade Stevenage and change its cheap and nasty image? Stevenage has so much potential; we obviously need people with taste to implement future designs for our joke of a town centre!

Name and address supplied

* I'd like to meet the people who are deciding on the colour scheme of all this new architecture (in Stevenage). The blue plant holders? Bright yellow canvas? Nothing goes. If they're going to waste money on making Stevenage look attractive and modern, at least hire someone with taste.

Saysha Ramsdell, Stevenage

* Regarding your front page article of The Comet dated 29th November 2006, how dare Stevenage Borough Council spend £58,000 on a hideous, no-purpose structure in the town centre.

Even if it was jointly funded, surely ASDA could have chosen to spend their contribution more wisely by providing funds for other services in the town. I strongly believe that I, like other council tax payers, do not pay in excess of £1000 a year for a total waste of time.

Are you telling me that the bigwigs at SBC couldn't think of anything better to spend the money on? That being the case, I suggest they all move on to different jobs.

Add to this the fact that the town is being redeveloped and they state it will be a permanent feature. God help us. How do they envisage improving the town centre, with tacky, inappropriate structures in a town centre that badly needs modernizing?

I think it is disgusting that's how they choose to spend our council tax when there are so many more amenities and services they could provide and improve to the residents of the town.

Karen Shaw, Address supplied

* My comments regarding the modern-art style yellow canopy are that it looks nice but how can they justify spending £58,000 on it?

It certainly does not look £58,000 worth of material, it's pretty disgusting. Where on earth did that figure come from and who in the hell signed that off, should be ashamed. That kind of money could have gone on something a little bit more worthwhile. Let's hope the rest of the reshaping of the town is done wisely

Karen Parker, Address supplied

* £58,000 for some yellow roofing!?!?! You have got to be kidding!

BEN, Address supplied

* I was puzzled, like so many others I guess, at the erection of the 'canopy' in the Town Centre, being combined with the replacement of the then recently de-chewing gummed pavements, especially without any obvious explanation from the council.

Now, we are told, it was to replace the old and rotting fixed canopy. I am even more puzzled - apart from not being in any way able to shelter anyone from the rain, I should imagine it would only be the foolhardy who would stand under it to keep dry. I can only suggest that perhaps the perpetrators of this abysmal waste of our council tax money should be made to stand under it in the next bout of heavy rain, and have cold water poured all over them. Failing that, perhaps this will incite the usual silent unvoting majority, to get out at the next local government elections and vote for someone with a bit more sense - the Monster Raving Looney Party springs to mind.

Don Sawyer, Lonsdale Road, Stevenage