I FULLY agree with A Telford (HAS, Jan 20) about the blinkered, self-satisfied attitude of Darlington councillors and council officers to many local problems, some long-standing.

The complacency which the Town Crier exudes beggars belief. From this propaganda organ one would think that Darlington is a sort of Utopia where nothing is wrong.

Things that need attention include many roads needing urgent repairs (not just patching), pavements in a poor state and difficult for pedestrians who don't walk too well. Litter needs a much bigger input. Approach roads into the town are badly littered, giving visitors a bad impression. The A68 north of the AI(M) junction 58, the A6072 approaching Heighington, and the A67 from Piercebridge, are examples.

Recent league tables for schools are hardly a matter for universal rejoicing. They show an abysmal failure to tackle low standards in schools in deprived areas. The Town Crier is hardly worth the cost of production. Most of the material is old hat by the time it reaches letterboxes. - R K Bradley, Darlington.

DARLINGTON Council's war against the motorist continues apace. The residents' parking scheme is to be extended to the Bank Top and College areas.

Darlington's drivers will now find it hard to park near the town and residents will pay to park on the street outside their homes. I thought that was why we paid road tax.

Car parking in this town is already a joke. Try to find a space on Friday or Saturday, or watch the long line of cars waiting to enter the Cornmill car park on busy days.

I find it easier and quicker to drive to Newton Aycliffe to shop, with its ample free parking.

If this war against the motorist continues, I predict we will see more empty shops in the centre as people give up and drive to the retail parks at Teesside and Gateshead instead. - R Hubery, Darlington.

IN reply to A Telford (HAS, Jan 20) about council services, I quite agree.

I have never seen so much dog dirt on pavements along North Road. Since the introduction of dog fouling fines, the situation seems to have got worse, not better. - V Flanagan, Darlington.

I WONDER if Darlington council have any plans to save the bandstand in the North Park, preferably before it falls down.

The vandals and the weather have certainly left their mark. I think most people would agree that it will never see another brass band, certainly not in that location, the council should re-locate it, before it is lost forever.

It would make a terrific feature on a roundabout, or perhaps Bussey and Armstrong could find a suitable site for it at their West Park development. - M Middleton, Darlington.

I SEE that the council is to spend thousands of pounds researching the best way of removing chewing gum from the town's pavements.

This is only the start, next will be the actual removal and this task will have to be a continual exercise. No sooner will an area be cleaned then it will have to be done again.

The only simple solution to this problem is to ban the sale of chewing gum, as some countries have done. No doubt a ban of chewing gum will never happen, so Joe Public will see another increase in council tax to cover this additional clean-up. - D Reed, Darlington.

COMMUNITY STRATEGY

ON January 24, I attended the forum to discuss the draft Community Strategy produced by Darlington Partnership.

The problem with the Community Strategy is that its contents do not reflect the views and feelings of the Darlington community!

People went to the forum to propose additions or alterations, but all we were asked to do was endorse the report's proposals.

The report represents the plans of the council and selected partners, like the College of Technology, who have based their decisions on financial considerations, not on community needs.

Any claim that it is based on community input is a sham. - Fred Lawton, Darlington.