I have lived in Redditch for just over eight years now and have seen a number of changes, some good and some bad.

A good change is the Kingfisher Centre - it has improved tremendously (especially now it is smoke free). We don't find the need to travel to Merry Hill quite so often.

On the minus side however, Redditch has no cinema, no bowling alley and the swimming facilities are woefully inadequate.

The planned Abbey Stadium development sounds very exciting and it might actually put Redditch on the map.

For years, I have read articles about trying to get people to visit Redditch.

I may be wrong but I can't imagine too many people travelling to Redditch just for the shopping.

Besides, parking at the Kingfisher is bad enough without having to fight through hoards of coaches and cars from outside of Worcestershire.

What will make people want to visit Redditch are facilities such as those outlined in the Abbey Stadium plan.

Currently, I must travel to Tamworth to use their snowdome, to Rubery Great Park to watch a film or to bowl, to Malvern Splash to splash about or to Birmingham to skate.

All that money going out of Redditch! All those jobs! All that prestige!

I acknowledge that this development may not be welcomed by all residents of Redditch, especially those who may be concerned about being adversley affected by the siting of the development, but that is the responsibilty of the planning committee to ensure that it doesn't.

The backup plan outlined in the Advertiser (June 25) is derisory, a joke, half baked, unworthy.

How can a refurbished sports hall, a new tennis court and swimming pool be considered as anything other than a massive cop-out?

The council has a chance to do something really good for the people of Redditch, please don't blow it.

Andrew Parnall

Redditch

via e-mail