I read with interest that Darius Laws, the Colchester Council business boss, is not worried about the future of Colchester town centre and that it isn’t in a “bad shape, it could be a lot worse” (Gazette, April 21, “‘We’ll force landlords to rent out their empty shops’”).

Now that is a true statement - it could and will be worse as more and more shops close or move out the town.

He believes he can “force” owners of empty shops to rent them out - I question to whom?

If current small businesses continue to close down, creating more empty shops and large retailers leave and move to Tollgate, who will take up the empty shops?

Existing shop owners face increased costs of rates, electricity, gas, wages and material costs, which is forcing them to close through no fault of their own.

So who will take over these empty shops that will encourage us to visit the town? Will it be hairdressers, nail bars, fast-food outlets?

If Darius could attract independents to come back to the town, how is he going to deal with the traffic issues we have?

Perhaps the council should issue every child and adult with a free bike, make bus transport free and allow buses to stop any where to pick up passengers?

Would this stop the school run?

I do not think so.

The local councils will continue to build more houses, this in turn increases traffic.

It seems to me that the average household has two cars, one for the school run and one for the work run.

Do we replace petrol cars with electric cars?

The issues are complex and will only be resolved if Conservatives, Labour and Liberals worked together on a 5 and 10-year plan for Colchester, instead of trying to convince us it was the other party that created the problem, and the town is not in a bad shape.

I councillors stopped point scoring and work for the benefits of residents, they would get our confidence back.

Allan Hurdle

Colchester