Sir, – I totally agree with Mike Keeble (D&S letters, Feb 6) when he criticises the decision by the Richmondshire planners to say "yes" to the building of a shopping complex at Scotch Corner. Who locally is going to benefit by this developement?
Have the planners gone into this with their eyes closed? Are they not aware what is taking place in Catterick Garrison?There is an enormous construction taking place, some of which is for retail outlets. Add that to the supermarket and the discount stores and it is becoming a serious problem for the high-street shops in Bedale, Richmond and Leyburn. Are the planners trying to turn our lovely little market towns into ghost towns?
Do the people on the planning commitee know anything about the economics of living in the countryside Can they not see what is going on in these places where bypasses and business rates are making running a small retail shop more precarious by the minute.
Mr Keeble refers to the use of productive farmland to build a shopping centre. What utter nonsense that is.
One can build something like that anywhere but good land for growing the nation's food is becoming scarce.
JOHN WATSON
Hutton Hill, Leyburn
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