There is lack of vision

Six miles up the coast, South Shields, a town which has suffered from the same losses in ship building and coal mining etc continues to demonstrate what can be achieved to promote the town.

Its town planners have vision; a quality, sadly, lacking in our Civic Centre.

Look at their development of the seafront, the magnificent new sports centre, the complete transformation of the Market Place.

Compare the numbers of visitors to the numerous events held in Bents Park throughout the summer months to the trickle of those who visit Seaburn and Roker.

Children who were born when the Vaux site closed are now finishing their A-levels and preparing for further education, but we are still waiting for some development to the area.

If that monstrous building nearing completion at Seaburn, which has no architectural attraction whatsoever and looks more like a war time gun emplacement rather than a restaurant, is the best we can do, then Heaven help us.

Lowry certainly would be turning in this grave.

Jack Walton