I assume Richard Hadley was trying to provoke a reaction with regard to his letter supporting a new supermarket on The Exe.

My observation would be that, perhaps, he should pull his head out of the sand and read a few surveys/reports on the demise of local shops where a supermarket is built in a town centre - it would mean the end for the independent butchers, bakers, fishmongers’ shops for a start!

Therefore, Exmouth would be left with empty retail premises and those employed would be unemployed and many towns then just have charity shops, building societies and estate agents, and the likes of Boots and W H Smith pull out of these less thriving town centres. It is a fact.

We already have a suitable supermarket in the town and, somehow, a smaller Tesco as well. That is enough.

Rather than write a provoking letter, how about reading some factual literature about dead towns created by supermarkets which bulldoze and cajole councils into unwise decisions.

Mr Hadley also has no aesthetic eye, as any building built on the estuary would be of detriment to the views and freedom of walkers and water sports.

Mr Hadley, please focus your energies on the supermarket idea, but at a similar distance outside of town to the Tesco on Salterton Road and not on the estuary site.

Margaret Moon

(via email).