I AM appalled and furious about the city council's decision to give the go-ahead to build another temple to consumerism on the old Kingsway site. It demonstrates a complete lack of vision and understanding of town planning and culture.

Not only will the complex undermine shops in the city centre it will provide us with another 600 car parking spaces and a health and fitness centre that most people will be unable to afford and worst of all there has been no consultation with the public.

Lancaster has the potential to be an attractive town if some thought was invested in how to make the city centre into an attractive space not wholly dominated by shops. What about some cafes and the possibility of sitting outside? What about a playground? What about turning Kingsway into a small park?

I have just returned from Germany and was struck by the attractiveness of the city centres, pubs, ice cream parlours spilling into the streets and pedestrian zones, benches public art, playgrounds and trees. The idea of a site at Kingsway makes me want to escape from Lancaster altogether.

Gisela Renolds

Portland Street

Lancaster

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.