A letter to the editor

I wrote a letter to the editor of one of our local newspapers but they didn't publish it. So I'll have to publish it instead!

It arose because just after Mr. Osbourne announced all his cuts, there was yet another announcement from our local council about their ambitious £1 billion project for the centre of Basildon. This time it included "inspirational plans". To fill in a bit of background, the council is currently building a big "Sporting village" and it was exposed recently that to help finance it, the Council is trying to sell off a number of open spaces.

Here's what I said:

Dear Sir

I was astounded to read all about the £1 billion revamp of the town centre of Basildon in your newspaper last week. And I thought that nice Mr. Cameron had said we‘re in a recession and need to make cutbacks! Or does Basildon Council exist in some kind of parallel universe? In fact, in the letters page last week, I read that the Council can’t even afford to trim the foliage along the highways (cutbacks halting cut backs, if you see what I mean). So how on earth is the Council going to afford all this? Or have they secretly agreed to sell off lots more open spaces around the Borough?

Another letter writer last week quite rightly bemoaned the appalling state of the Laindon Centre “regeneration”. If the Council can’t get that right, what chance has it on a £1 billion project?

Another thing I’d like to know is how much the Council has already spent out on fees to BWB to produce “inspirational plans”? How many hedges could that amount of money trimmed back?

Just to say, our own shopping centre in Laindon, mentioned above, is supposed to be redeveloped, and has been for a number of years now. But all that has happened, some years ago part of it was demolished, and hoardings surround it It really is a disgrace. One day soon I might take some pictures and share them with you.

By the way, I hope you liked the "cut back" pun in the letter.