SIR – I refer to the headline of last week s Comet Will the last person to leave Baldock please turn out the lights. Firstly may I say that the pub highlighted in your article has, in the recent past, attracted much displeasure from both local residents

SIR - I refer to the headline of last week's Comet "Will the last person to leave Baldock please turn out the lights."

Firstly may I say that the pub highlighted in your article has, in the recent past, attracted much displeasure from both local residents and the police. To a lesser extent the same goes for the other pub you mention. All in all it seems to me that Baldock is perhaps better off rid these two establishments. These comments aside, it should be clear to all that in the present day Baldock cannot sustain 13 public houses. Look at Letchworth, four times the size, three or four pubs which half the time are not full.

As for the other businesses you mention, the demise of one only can be directly attributable to the advent of the bypass and/or the presence of a large superstore seeking to rule the world. No mention is made in your article to new shops or other businesses' opening in the Town.

You have recorded, inter alia, the observations of Councillor Knighton to the effect that it is not easy to attract new shops to the town. Further you have recorded the monies that NHDC and Herts CC are ploughing into a regeneration project. What is not mentioned is the formation of a new body called The Baldock Town Centre Partnership. This Body is comprised of local shopkeepers, businesses', organisations, residents & NHDC, all of whom are of one accord to seek a regeneration of Baldock town centre.

To conclude and with the greatest respect, whilst newspapers provide headlines to attract readers, with all due respect, the article under comment here does not assist in any regeneration of the town. In fact it is detrimental to all the good work that is being done.

Councillor MICHAEL WEEKS

Chairman

Baldock & District Committee

NHDC

SIR - Will the last person to leave Baldock please turn out the lights; interesting story, and though I have only lived in Baldock for a couple of years, I am already considering leaving. I have never known a local council to conspire to abuse its residents in quite the same way. The parking is a disgrace, the planning department is a shower (can they really only issue consent to A3), there are no practical recycling facilities, the weekly market which until recently was run by the council is for the most part, like some sort of bad third world parody. I could go on.

DAN STRONG

Hitchin Street

Baldock

SIR - I cannot understand why the presence of a Tesco store in Baldock should result in a pub closing down as inferred by your front page article November 2.

Since Tesco stores do not have pubs in them I would have thought it would increase custom by bringing in thirsty visitors who would not come to Baldock otherwise. London is hardly a ghost town, but there too, pubs are closing every week.

The real villain is not Tesco, or even the bypass but sky-high property values, and the desire of modern businesses like Greene King to make a fast buck.

The spokesman said the pub does not fit with our current estate, this is industry-speak for we can make more money by closing it down and selling the site for development.

DAVID WAKELIN

Lapwing Dell

Letchworth Garden City