Dear Editor,
I refer to page 3 of the most recent issue of the Spennymoor News (issue 166) regarding the appeal by No Ordinary Estates who were refused planning permission to develop new retail units at the Thinford Park site.
Well done to Bill Edgar, your Local Democracy Reporter for compiling the article and also well done to councillor Mark Wilkes for defending the interests of local businesses within the town of Spennymoor.
Have we learned nothing in recent years? Durham County Council, like many councils throughout the country, has actively encouraged out of town retail developments, leading to the deterioration of our High Streets.
Yes, I acknowledge we move with the times and the convenience of online shopping, but I believe there is still a balance to be struck.
Councillor Wilkes is correct that there are units available within the town primed for investment. So why don’t No Ordinary Estates, who wish to impress by mentioning the number of jobs the units will provide, bring those jobs into the town centre?
Thinford roundabout (as it was once known) is awash with all manner of businesses and must be one of the busiest junctions in the county already.
If No Ordinary Estates motives are genuine then why not consider the option of investing in the town?
Yours sincerely,
Mr P Laidler, by email.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
