ANY organisation must, ultimately, be judged on what it actually does rather than what it merely promises to do!

The demise of Budgens, Stead and Simpsons, and the bakers in Marlow High Street will, undoubtedly, present the Wycombe Council with having to make decisions as to what the next occupiers will offer. No doubt if there is a request for yet another restaurant, boutique and an estate agent the council will merely "touch the forelock" - and agree!

When we first came to live in Marlow there were five family butchers. Now there are none. Is that "progress"? The further desecration of the ethos of Marlow, the addition to traffic, and the relationship to the alleged "town plans" will be conveniently ignored and the already unhealthy balance between townsfolk's needs, healthy retail businesses, and escalating rents and rates will be even further distorted from its present convulsions!

For example the current property development in Chapel Street will, in the short term, benefit the transitory developer, but, in both the short and longer term will add even further to the already saturation-by-traffic in that inadequate street. But the additional traffic, consequential on the new development has never been mentioned by the council, has it?

Councils are supposed to have both the responsibility and the vision to preserve and control the careful, sensible, relative, evolution of a town for posterity but, in the case of Marlow, it seems that voracious, exploitative, private developers are actually making all the decisions.

Bill Purdie

West Street

Marlow