WHILE I wholeheartedly agree the £100 million cultural investment (Echo, July 27) in Bishop Auckland is the best thing to happen to the town and local area for generations, it seems the council does not back this up with actions of its own.

While I applaud the magnificent show Kynren, the investment in the Park Head Hotel and the Toronto Lodge and the opening of the lovely tea shop in the market place, the one comment that crops up time and again from people who visit Kynren is: “Don’t travel to Bishop Auckland early because there is nothing to do prior to the show itself.”

When Puy de Fou opened in France the organisers pointed out that for every euro spent on the show three euros were spent in the town. This is not the case for our town because by 5pm everything, including cafes and tea shops, except the pubs are shut.

Also businesses are leaving the town or closing shop frontage, (Yorkshire Bank, Greggs etc) near the market place because apparently the landlords want ten year plus leases.

What with no hotel (will it materialise) in the town and little for visitors to do in the evenings prior to Kynren I fear the town will continue to struggle in the short term.

Also the timing of the road works in the market place is priceless.

Shaun Penn, Bishop Auckland