WHERE can I get hold of a copy of the Old Livestock Market retail study by Fripp Sandeman and Partners, referred to in the story headed “Store Plans Revealed”

(Hereford Times, May 2)? It sounds like a great work of fiction.

According to the quoted figures we can expect an extra 450 shoppers per day each spending £700. I hope the consultancy fee paid to FSP is refundable if these predictions are not met.

A recent visit to Worcester confirmed my suspicions that even the new Hereford retail offering pales by comparison; size does matter in this case.

Building a relief road will simply speed shoppers onto Worcester.

Good thinking, Herefordshire Council.

The world has moved on but unfortunately for us Herefordshire Council remains stubbornly in the last century.

Most savvy shoppers use the internet for their big purchases; wider choice, cheaper prices, less waiting, free delivery and no car parking charges.

Town centres need to differentiate themselves from the “one size fits all” approach of modern developers. At very little cost, Rotherham encouraged independent retailers and saw footfall increase by 12 per cent last year.

The new Odeon is welcomed and the location of the restaurant block close to the cinema will guarantee custom in the evenings/weekends, albeit to the detriment of other food establishments in the old city centre.

Waitrose and Debenhams will have their devotees but will take business away from other supermarkets – the extra shoppers probably already do their food shops at Hereford’s other supermarkets – and small retailers.

It is to be hoped the remaining shop units find some tenants otherwise the retail offering looks distinctly under-whelming.

Finally, the new Debenhams store is taking shape but looks rather large and out of character with the rest of Hereford city.

The artist’s impression of the new retail quarter on the Hereford Futures website may have been carefully chosen to ignore the impact of the Debenhams’ building.

IAN ROBERTS, Bedford Street, Hereford.