IN response to the article 'Report: Town Needs Change' published April 21:

I am born and bred St Helens and love the place I live but think it is so sad now. Decline that started in the '80s has never been addressed by the council and other towns have left us behind.

Knocking the centre down will not fix this.

You have to ask why have Primark and other retail outlets decided to invest in Wigan and Warrington and not St Helens? There is not the wealth in the town that there was when we had the pits and Pilkington Glass plus many others offering good pay and employment but that is the same as many other areas I visit around the uk.

It does seem to rest at the feet of the council being backward - and now they have decided to finally do something about it, it may be too late.

I, like many others, don't shop in the town and it would take something special to get us back.

Paul Seddon

via Facebook