No to Tesco-land

10:56am Friday 16th May 2008

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Sir, - The development of Castle Hills, Northallerton, will ruin a beautiful green wedge in the heart of a historic town forever.

I walk past Castle Hills regularly, and the view over the town from there is lovely.

Northallerton is being slowly transformed from a quaint and attractive market town into an urban metropolis for the benefit of commuters.

Instead of destroying what beauty we have left, why not enhance it with proper footpaths from the town centre? Most people have no idea how attractive these walks already are, because they are not promoted in any way.

With some investment, some of them could be wheelchair and buggy accessible, and more people would use them. People who visit the town to shop don't usually want to have to change into walking boots or wellingtons in order to enjoy a pleasant walk.

The proposed parking charge may start at 40p, but the Hambleton executives will inevitably increase it in order to get more revenue to pay for inflating their already ridiculously high salaries. If they want to save money, they should do it at their expense, and not all the small businesses of Hambleton.

These ambitious incoming city-slickers are not interested in the long-term effects of their actions, only their own careers.

Residential streets will be clogged up with cars. This will cause a forest of "street furniture"

directing cars somewhere else away from town centre residents' parking, thus further urbanising our attractive little towns with grey poles and white signs.

Supermarkets are experts in retailing and they have free parking. Parking charges will serve only to drive people to park at the supermarkets and shop there, instead of at small independent retailers, who are already overtaxed by high business rates. This will help to destroy the very character that people come here to enjoy.

Northallerton has no tourist attractions apart from its shopping.

I don't want to dwell in "Tesco-land", but our local government servants are helping to hasten the day when supermarkets will be our only choice.

MICHAEL RUDD Romanby, Northallerton