I READ about the threat to the proposed historical nightshow attraction at  Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland (Echo, May 23). It seems there is no joined-up thinking in Durham County Council, as in March, the council approved the building of a visitors’ centre, which is the first phase of the project, but now planners are urging councillors to reject the main plan. This seems farcical, and they should be working to achieve a resolution to the problems. 

The council acknowledges that the attraction will be a rare opportunity for the area and then declares it will be a nuisance for bats and the occupants of 40 households. While I agree it may be noisy, but it will be for “30 shows lasting 80 minutes”, not every night of the summer. Surely the benefits to the town and area outweigh the negatives.

Bishop Auckland has been decimated by the building of the out-of-town shopping area at Tindale, despite denials by the council that this would happen when it was first proposed. Surrounding towns and villages are also in need of some inward investment. Have you walked through Festival Walk in Spennymoor, which is in urgent need of regeneration? It is so depressing and I understand regeneration plans have been discussed for years and still the people of Spennymoor wait.

The County Durham Plan suggests the council wishes to “drive forward growth, empower business and ensure the region delivers more for UK PLC”. If this is the case, then it needs to be less risk averse and to help those with the ambition and business acumen to get a great project off the ground. The government talks of the Northern Powerhouse but Durham County Council is more like a damp squib.

We need new business and new attractions to encourage people to the 'real North' .The Tour de Yorkshire has shown the world the beauties of Yorkshire, so we should aspire to showing off  the even more beautiful county of Durham.

I hope many of the residents in the area will put their voices to support this project.

Bev Ashton, Crook.