LAST week’s letters from Messrs Pritchard, Kerr and Swindells expose yet again the third-rate thinking of our elected councillors.

Hereford had a wonderful opportunity some years ago to put all its public facilities: hospital,law courts, police station and council offices, in one area at St Mary’s, Burghill, before the land was developed for private housing, and where access for most Herefordians would have been good.

This would have left the centre of Hereford to be attractively and imaginatively developed for retailers.

This sort of joined-up thinking is alien to our councillors but can be seen in towns in foreign parts - France, Germany and Sweden have numerous examples of towns with ‘Local Government Parks’ and attractive town centres for shoppers.

Hereford has ‘Business Parks’, such as Holmer and Beeches, which are quite frankly a disgrace and would be better placed in Third World countries. I don’t blame the outlets there but the council for allowing such shoddy facilities.

I used to think Ross-on-Wye was run down but, in comparison to the centre of Hereford, it’s almost heaven.

But the words of Messrs. Pritchard, Kerr and Swindells - as indeed my own - will be swept under the carpet by our elected representatives, who may well be friendly and amiable people but haven’t a clue as to what’s going on outside Hereford, won’t listen to the people of Hereford and, for some unknown reason, appear to be too proud to seek advice. I don’t think any would survive the first round of The Apprentice.

Our children will be left with a hotch-potch, ill-thought out centre of Hereford which has no soul.

Ralph Keme, Hampton Bishop