St Neots must not be a clone

I HAVE lived in the St Neots area for 32 years, and the town has developed to some degree with a turnover of retail outlets and new housing developments, but the general feel of the town has changed from that of a charming market town to just another small town with an over-represented resident population for the amenities provided.

I think the potential to develop a thriving and vibrant town is enormous.

We have the riverside, market square, attractive architecture and easy access to excellent road and rail links to London and the north.

In my view, bearing in mind our position between Huntingdon and Bedford, and applying a little lateral thinking, it would be suitable to develop the town as a niche area specialising in unusual independent outlets with a range of coffee shops and restaurants.

It would be nice to see a less corporate vision and strive for an independent feel.

I think the museum could have a higher profile and provide exhibitions of general interest.

I accept that the town is growing, and we need to cater for this growing population but, if we want visitors from out of town, we need to offer an alternative that is not available in their local area. It would have been nice to see the new cinema plans include different plans rather than clones of Bedford and Huntingdon.

In summary, let’s have the courage to be different and make our mark on the map.

I have not commented on the emotive issues of parking and traffic control, as I think there will be many better qualified than me who will address these issues.

JACKIE SPARKE

Trafalgar Road

Eaton Ford