Council gambles aren’t paying off

I was born in Canterbury and have lived here most of my life. The changes from those days and now are very different but has Canterbury City Council got it right? I am afraid to say no

in many cases, with only a few successes.

What made me write this was the other week when I read that the council is going to lose income from the rents at Whitefriars, which they decided to purchase [‘Questions raised over Whitefriars retail future after value drops £46m’, Gazette, August 20].

When it was announced that they intended to purchase the site, I thought at the time it was a huge gamble. It seems that the council like to take gambles which I am afraid to say have not worked. Especially now with shopping habits changing, with Covid-19 being just one problem. Another issue shops are facing is online shopping, but also with other shopping facilities like Mcarthur Glen and Westwood Cross where parking is easy and cheaper.

Although the new proposals for Debenhams and the old Nason’s sites look good on paper, what with the present climate and the changes in shopping habits, will this be successful? Let’s hope so, otherwise it will be a big void in the city.

Another gamble the council has made against all opposition is the new multi-storey car park at Station Road West.

It should have been built on the other side of Rheims Way where Aldi and Logan house are, to save traffic entering the city.

Why does the council not sort out the problems in the city rather than putting it in debt on things that are not important? The only good project as far as I can see is the new Kingsmead site, which will have entertainment in the form of a cinema, restaurants, cafes and more shops.

This new entertainment site will encourage people into the city.

But more people will bring more traffic and the roads and pavements need to be upgraded to cope with this increase. Yes, there are some good aspects of Canterbury, with its two universities, a nice shopping centre, a new entertainment site along with the Marlowe, etc, and not forgetting its historical past and proximity to Whitstable and Herne Bay. The district has a lot to offer. I just wish the council would listen to the people more and not make silly decisions.

P Bunce

Rosemary Lane, Canterbury

‘Although the new proposals for the Debenhams and old Nason’s sites look good on paper, with the present climate and the changes in shopping habits, will this be successful?’

How the former Nasons site will look when it is transformed