COUNCIL SHAKE-UP

DARLINGTON Borough Council's planned shake-up of council procedure (Echo, July 5) is very much a PR exercise and designed to enable the authority to control discussion. It will be of very little help if one wishes to influence council policy.

The council has obviously learnt from recent events and is seeking to head off any recurrence of popular opposition to its proposals.

Those seeking to change a council proposal will also have learnt that while a petition is handy for, say, getting a referendum on an elected mayor, we have seen the council ignore a petition in the case of the pedestrianisation of High Row.

Those seeking to save Hurworth School won the day because they were prepared to take to the streets and convince people of the justice of their cause. These are lessons which we must remember in the future. _ John W Antill, Darlington.

GRAHAM ROBB

I WAS delighted to see the announcement of Graham Robb as the Conservative candidate in the forthcoming Sedgefield by-election. I was fortunate to attend the campaign launch in Middleton St George and very much welcome a candidate who is local, someone with extensive business experience and with excellent communication skills, who will represent the whole of the constituency, not someone who will be a rare visitor to the North-East.

For too long we have had (and still have) high profile representatives in the North-East who have totally failed to provide any measure of support towards solving the North/South divide. Graham Robb will provide a breath of fresh air. _ Steve York, Middleton St George.

MAYORAL ELECTION

IF the people of Darlington decide we should have an election so we could vote who becomes our new Mayor, then maybe the Town Hall could answer a few questions which are often put to me by friends and other members of the public?

Could any adult from the borough stand in the election? How much would it cost to stand as a candidate? Would there only be a certain number of candidates allowed to stand?

I have posted three letters to the Town Hall asking these questions, but none has merited a reply. _ Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

CENTRAL PARK

RE the £200m Central Park redevelopment scheme for Darlington (Echo, June 27 and 28). As someone who lives beside the proposed site, an abundance of wild birds live there in the many bushes and trees which are going to be displaced, plus other wildlife.

As it is, it is a nice green oasis in a built-up area. The remaining allotment holders don't want to leave and many residents along Hundens Lane want it to stay green.

And who says so many people want new homes in town? A Johnson, Darlington.