I recently counted 23 empty shops in Exmouth. This I calculate as seven per cent of the total. The national average is, apparently, 10 per cent. This indicates that, far from 'dying', our town is performing above average.

I recently counted 23 empty shops in Exmouth. This I calculate as seven per cent of the total.The national average is, apparently, 10 per cent. This indicates that, far from 'dying', our town is performing above average. Many of the empty premises are undergoing refurbishment and will probably re-open soon. I also counted only 12 charity shops (would somebody please tell me what is wrong with charity shops).The prophets of doom are wrong; our town is in reasonably good health and would certainly not have benefited from the construction of an ASDA superstore on the estuary. Now that this spectre has been removed, we may consider some of the imaginative ideas which have been suggested by the various citizens' organisations, none of which has ever expressed blanket opposition to further development in our town.It was notable that East Devon District councillors, our MP, ASDA representatives and two of the random members of the public who expressed such 'disappointment' do not actually live in Exmouth - the gentleman who lives in Spain is welcome to an ugly superstore near to his Costa home.If this is in any way relevant, I have lived in Exmouth for 40 years, my wife and children are all Devon born and bred, and I am not yet fully retired.Martin White,70 Ashleigh Road, Exmouth.