With regard to the article about the Letchworth town centre redevelopment in last weeks Comet, page 3, I take issue with those intent on misrepresenting what I believe is the mass majority of Letchworth residents. To state a conclusion can be drawn from

With regard to the article about the Letchworth town centre redevelopment in last weeks Comet, page 3, I take issue with those intent on misrepresenting what I believe is the mass majority of Letchworth residents.

To state a conclusion can be drawn from only 1,186 people who were prepared to reply to The Comet advert paid for by traders - and I would imagine most of those responses were taken direct in shops by residents already using business such as Cox's Fish Bar - is absurd and shows exactly the point! The mass majority of Letchworth residents who hardly use the town centre did not fill in a shop-presented form. My daughter was personally encouraged to fill in a form in a town shop with humorous comments and persuasion of no development!

My family consists of over 20 members, all born or lived in Letchworth most of their lives and every one of them is for the redevelopment.

It does not take a genius to work out what shoppers prefer - a new department store like John Lewis or Debenhams or a fish shop etc. For us there is no choice. In previous surveys undertaken on local people and the surrounding area, most said they only used Letchworth town centre for the banks or post office.

I do not believe these self motivated surveys are in any way accurate and would ask everyone in Letchworth to ask themselves the following: would Mr Cox be so keen to protest if he had a shop at the bottom of Leys Avenue and did not mean him uprooting? And how many shops have closed in the Arcade, the Wynd or any of the main streets because of the lack of foot fall?

A very large number of excellent businesses, including one of my own... so I have the experience to know what I am talking about!

JAMES PADDON, Icknield Way, Letchworth GC