I consider it shameful for residents of Exmouth to be shown in The Journal celebrating the decision of ASDA not to continue with their plans to open in Exmouth. How can anyone celebrate that Exmouth will not, in the foreseeable future, look forward to a

I consider it shameful for residents of Exmouth to be shown in The Journal celebrating the decision of ASDA not to continue with their plans to open in Exmouth. How can anyone celebrate that Exmouth will not, in the foreseeable future, look forward to any type of regeneration? That the future of Exmouth for the next 10 to 15 years again will continue looking bleak. Our campaigners can continue to look at the ex-rail shed/leisure centre, bus storage and works yard and run down rail station with the knowledge that they are happy with 'no change'. Did they ever speak for the people of Exmouth? I heard them only say 'I don't want this' or 'we don't want that'. ('We' being my wife and I.) A lady in your report summed it all up about that group when she said: "I did not want the supermarket and it doesn't bother me about the other amenities as I never use them." Not 'I never use them but they would be a tremendous asset for the people of Exmouth'. Could they not see the harm such a negative attitude was having on any future regeneration and progress for Exmouth? ASDA are not stupid.However, I blame our elected town council for not encouraging a more hopeful feeling within the town. All the other groups and committees - The Exmouth Society, The Chamber of Trade (who?), The Residents' Association, The Exmouth Community Association and The Exmouth Citizens' Forum are all non-elected. (What a lot of interest in Exmouth.) The town council, being elected by us, and apparently in favour of the ASDA development, should have shown considerably more interest and positive actions. Where were they in the town centre with a positive table next to the negative table of the 'antis'? Did they not have surgeries and door-step chats with their ward members? They knew the people of Brixington, Littleham and the town centre wanted and would have benefited from such a new development. No action from them at all to instill into the people of Exmouth any excitement of a new change - a start of a new regeneration of our town. What do they do? We never seem to hear from them these days. Those who voted for you wanted you to lead. Where were you?Great, a super new Strand surrounded by empty shops. 'No future parking' was the directive from John Prescott's office a few years ago so a multi-storey will be a difficult facility to pass. We hope all goes well here. A Campaign Committee for Union Street?And so we go onwards. A new scheme in a few years' time. A new campaign committee to oppose it and so Exmouth continues and continues. We have seen it so many times.So let us not drink to any success at the moment - it does not help the town progress in any way, but just cements the negative and ignorant feelings some residents will always have about 'change'. At the moment no one has won anything - on the contrary. Graham Kirby,23 Roundhouse Lane, Exmouth.