WHILE I appreciate Ben Ord's concerns about the Festival Walk development (HAS, May 29), I do not agree with his understanding of the situation for the following reasons: 1. The Royal Bank of Scotland repossessed the site when the previous owner got into financial difficulties; 2. RBS still hold the site and the only organisation having the power to dispose of it is the bank; 3. The site is not Durham County Council's responsibility.
There are two major hurdles facing RBS – can it find a buyer prepared to pay for the site a sum of money sufficient to discharge the money owed ? In addition there are, I understand, difficulties with some of the titles to the shops because all of the freeholds are not owned by a common landlord.
The way forward would be for Durham County Council to raise money to purchase the site, carry out the appropriate demolition and then offer the site to a developer.
T Sutton, Spennymoor.
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