Letter: Shopping like it's 1899 ...

Calderdale councillors like to shop like it’s 1899. That’s probably why the relatively new Broad Street ‘Vue’ complex is never full, or anywhere near, of commercial/retail outlets; why Horton Street looks permanently jaded and why the ‘coup de grace’, Northgate House and library, still stand empty after the Council tried to get retailers interested in the site (sixth form college coming soon? – good born out of failure, at least McDonald’s will be pleased), with the Calderdale archives still buried deep within, surely the best time capsule ever!

Letter: Conflicting priorities over transportNow the ‘1899’ councillors want to knock down Halifax Swimming Baths and build a new car park, yet another mistaken belief that if you build the infrastructure (millions spent on ‘upgrading’ Huddersfield Road) then the shoppers will come.

Why would anyone from Huddersfield (or Bradford for that matter) want to come to Halifax to shop?

They have better shopping facilities than us, simply because they have larger populations and more shopping outlets. And when it comes down to it if you want a real shopping experience you go to Leeds or Manchester.

Letter: More priority for cyclists in roads spendingShopping in the 20th century is about the internet or an expressively different experience and the Piece Hall just doesn’t cover it, even though it is an architectural gem.

It’s time Calderdale councillors start to think out of the box.

Realising the internet has altered the way large numbers of people shop, which followed on from the one stop shop experience (that big supermarkets and out of town malls still suck town centres dry); and that uniqueness and creating different non-shopping areas that people love to be in is the way forward.

Given that the run-up to the local elections and double the junk mail will be coming through my letter box, will one political party’s leaflet apologise (other than blame the others) for the fiasco that is council policy on Halifax shopping? No.