IN his recent letter (HAS, Apr 24) Ben Ord identified Spennymoor Town Centre as receiving funding toward environmental improvement.

The Spennymoor Area Action Partnership (AAP), working alongside Durham County Council (DCC) regeneration team, has funded physical improvements to businesses through the targeted business improvement scheme.

It has made improvements to more than 20 properties over the past three years and overseen significant change including seven retail units at the Town Hall and three units opposite Cheapside.

The AAP is currently working on offering 30 apprenticeship places to businesses with less than 250 employees, a grant of £2,500 through the county apprenticeship programme and a mentoring scheme for the longterm unemployed.

Ben Ord has, for several years, declined his seat on the AAP and it would be wrong of him to claim any part in the work done by those who were prepared to put the time in.

It is the other county councillors in the town who drew down the funding to work with DCC and open up the leisure centre-Cheapside link.

We are all keen to put pressure on the owners of Festival Walk.

But Ben Ord does like to write letters.

The success of the AAP in a number of areas is a clear demonstration that you have to do more than put pen to paper.

Neil Foster, Labour candidate Tudhoe.