THE council executive recently looked at the three schemes put forward to develop the large area situated at the corner of Bury New Road and Stanley Road, Whitefield, visible as you emerge from the Metrolink station.

This is an important site which will set the tone for Whitefield for years to come. The site will link through to the Total Fitness Centre, which is in the process of being built. Both areas, it is hoped will provide quality facilities.

Imagine my dismay and puzzlement then to read that a scheme which looks sketchy and vague and is full of uncertainties, is the one preferred by the council. I find it extremely difficult to understand why approval has been given to such a weak scheme, when there is another much stronger scheme on the table.

I would prefer the scheme, put forward by Dransfield Developments, to build a good-sized food retail unit to be run by a prestigious retailer. This would be a great boon for the area, and would have the further advantage of seeing the narrow and congested stretch of Bury New Road (near the Wheatsheaf pub) being widened.

I wonder why it is that the council have shown more interest in a scheme full of uncertainties than in a quality scheme which is ready to be implemented. I also wonder why the council have made no effort to consult local people about their needs and preferences and why such important decisions are made behind closed doors.

FRANK CHAPMAN, Bury New Road, Whitefield.