Shock at state of our town centre

Sir  I recently, after a break of a few years, had the opportunity to pop into Rotherham town centre and, to put it simply, was shocked at what the town planners have done to the town centre.

In a nutshell they have ripped out the very heart of it. What used to be the focal point of the town's heritage and spirit the shopping centre has become a virtual ghost town.

The town square little more than a paving stone slab surrounded by so called revivalist developments consisting of glass-fronted yuppie flats with a few empty shops beneath.

Buildings that gave the town centre character have gone forever to be replaced with designer slab and wall features around the church.

Millions of pounds of ratepayers' money has been used to turn the town centre into a paving-slab-ridden pedestrianised area at the expense of the once-thriving business community there.

I hear comments from people that Rotherham now has to compete with the likes of Meadowhall for business.

How can it when the whole centre is pedestrianised, parking is few and far between and people have to physically carry whatever they purchase hundreds of yards to the nearest over-priced parking spaces at the rear of the libruary complex?

It's time Rotherham Council took a serious look into their own planning department and the people putting these plans forward, they certainly are not doing this for the good of the residents of the Rotherham area.

Mike Hirst, Flatts Lane, Treeton.