Just spare a thought though for the market traders who have seen the twice-weekly market decimated by all the uncertainty and confusion over the last few years.

These hard-working traders do not have the resources of these developers who blight our towns, regardless of the wishes of the inhabitants. They do not have the financial clout to make the local authority sing to their tune.

They can't let well alone though, these councillors of ours. Mr Jaggard is still looking to make "significant improvements" to the market square.

We all know what happens when they plan improvements in this town – vast expense on much delayed projects, usually badly thought through and benefiting only the host of consultants our elected leaders choose to hire and then hide behind.

Why can't we simply have a useful market square, available for parking on non-market days – what is the harm in that?

At the inception of the Rookery, we had just that, until it was decided to improve it. I wonder if these hare-brained schemes will be mentioned before the next local elections.

The last round saw off the car parking charges brigade, albeit a bit too late to stop them entirely. I seem to remember some changes to the make-up of the council last time the car park on the market square was to be totally abolished, so maybe all is not lost.

On a different point, I drove past Waitrose the other day. The traffic lights were inoperative – it was the easiest cross-town journey I have made for a long time.

Tony Pringle
35 Windsor Road
Newmarket