Is town centre worth saving?

I agree with Stuart Barton, as I too feel confused and cynical, regarding yet another potentially disastrous and expensive regeneration scheme of Ashford town centre.

I despair at further money being thrown at another attempt to breath new life into what is now a depressing, empty, retail wasteland and an endless money pit. I fear no amount of money, now or in the future, will be able to regenerate Ashford town centre and really, why bother?

All we have are numerous charity shops, pound shops and estate agents. Rates are too high to attract the small independent businesses and due to high unemployment in the area, there will be few people with surplus cash available, who could afford to shop there.

Sadly Ashford is becoming a dormitory town, where residents live but spend their money and leisure time elsewhere, and honestly, who can blame them. Alyson Greaves