WHAT a hotch-potch of planning we seem to get in our town.

We get pedestrianisation by instalments and new shop fronts on the crumbling buildings years after St Helens has been 'centrally' rebuilt.

A third giant supermarket appears almost overnight in the shadow of our two existing ones, occupying the land used by hundreds of cars, while their occupants spent money in our bustling market and shops.

Now we have the best to date. A new route has been created joining part of Legh Street to Wellington Street. This route passes between our large 'Residential Home, Patterdale Medical Centre and the new bus station.'

It is a favourite stretch for cars to park on double yellow lines as long as they're Orange Badge holders, which creates even more of a hazard. On market days - three times a week - it's often like Brands Hatch.

In order to shop at all, it means our infirm residents risk life and limb every day to reach Market Street. A pelican crossing is a must before the worst happens and, for goodness sake, let us see some sensible planning, you've had enough practice in Newton.

Eric Wilson, Wood's Court, Newton-le-Willows.

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