Tim Wood’s promotion (Journal, August 4) of East Devon District Council’s old reasons for a superstore on the estuary site fails for all the same reasons that EDDC’s previous attempts to foist an unwelcome supermarket on the estuary site. Nothing has changed. (10,000 signature petition against it presented to parliament.)

Mr Wood states: “I think it would be disastrous for the town retailers if there were a supermarket on the edge of town.” I agree.

The money spent in an edge-of-town supermarket is money not spent with local traders.

That also applies where a supermarket is located close to the town centre. Our local traders are suffering enough, without imposing further unfair competition upon them. They deserve better.

A study by the New Economics Foundation found that, between 1995-2000, Britain lost 20 per cent of its key institutions, such as corner shops, banks, post offices, pubs and grocers, to the march of globalisation and believes that years of erosion will soon make it impossible for many businesses to carry on, thus creating “food and enterprise deserts” and ghost towns in Britain.

Say no to a supermarket on the Exe. There is a better way to regenerate Exmouth and support its local retailers.

An outline proposal is currently circulating amongst our local community organisations and will be released soon after due discussions.

So, think again, Tim Wood, go back to your masters at EDDC (those who gave you the label Exmouth’s Champion) and tell them to listen to the people of Exmouth. How many more bogus “consultations” are they going to waste our money on?

Keith Richardson

(via email).