Listen to us and bin this monstrosity

I will not list again the many (dozens) of sincere, economic and logical arguments that have been put forward against this scheme over the last four years or so in your newspaper. Also, the main arguments against this absurd development are set out in the excellent letter from Richard Ashworth of the Leamington Society. (Postbag August 5).

Perhaps the project build is now inevitable because it has passed the point of no return (i.e WDC irrevocably committed.) The lack of comment or replies to letters from the WDC, our local MP and councillors seems to support this view. Further evidence in support is as follows;

a) In the WDC release, announcing the scheme in 2007 Councillor John Hammon said “we are pleased to announce Wilson Bowden as our preferred development partner for Chandos Street”. I imagine this partnership involves a contractual obligation likely to incur penalty charges for a failure to proceed.

b) Following a WDC meeting to discuss the early plans a Courier reader Mineko Nagasaki was prompted to write to your paper that only three councilors spoke and only one expressed concern. “Nobody else had anything to say”. It was “shocking and disappointing”, that there was a lack of discussion.

c) Richard Ashworth (Courier, August 5) refers to the very close liason between the WDC and the developer and asks the question “are the council able to make a genuinely impartial decision on the merits of the planning application”.

I am sure that Wilson Bowden and WDC will have spent enormous sums of money over the last four years and feel that they have to ensure that this monstrous building is erected.

The right course for them now is to face reality, particularly in the current economic climate, and not to ignore or dismiss public opinion. We shall see. - Clive Engwell, Clarendon Square, Leamington.