ALTHOUGH limited to 200 words, I must respond to Coun Jones’s public statement on the closure of our excellent Go-Stow visitor information centre: 1) “Members of Stow Council have been pro-active in seeking a solution which would have enabled them (Haslers) to continue to provide tourist information.”

􀁥 I resigned last October over STC’s overriding bullish attitude towards the Haslers, compounded by STC’s tangible apathy to ‘consult’ and ‘listen’ to other people’s views on preserving such an important asset.

2) “No fewer than six councillors have spent many hours of their own time on this and numerous meetings have been held both with CDC and the Haslers themselves”.

􀁥 Very recently maybe?

But only myself and Coun Kennell initiated grant funding meetings with CDC (Aug/Sept 2012).

“Closed STC meetings occurred, but anger at STC’s failure to approach the wider community sparked the launch of the Civic Society’s petition to CDC to save Go-Stow.

(October 2012) 􀁥 STC failed to consider both the petition’s huge local and worldwide support and the business community’s match funding pledges, notwithstanding consistent pleas from our MP. Our valuable visitor information centre is now gone – to be downgraded to a visitor information point!

This dereliction of civic duty begs the question – where does this leave the Localism Bill for Stow?

MOYRA McGHIE Stow