LETTERSFrom Phil Cave, Newport:
HOW ironic that on the same page (CP, 06-01-12) one report is on local businesses reacting to Mary Portas’s report about keeping high streets alive by not letting out-of-town supermarkets become a reality while on another is Asda’s application for a superstore just outside Newport.
Oliver Jones, property communications manager for Asda, said it will be a Newport store but this is simply not true.
One might as well say the football club or Pan allotments are in the town when they are patently not.
Mr Oliver also says Asda will create 450 jobs. Utter rubbish. These planned jobs will be mostly part time and, in theory, every job gained at Asda will be another job lost in other shops.
Will these people from the big mainland companies please not assume we are uneducated on the IW and not patronise us with sick-making platitudes about wanting to make us all happier when Asda comes too the Island.
Asda is wanting to come for one reason only. That is to make money.
From Keith Priest, Cowes:
Won’t pay to shop: You may recall that the a couple of years ago, the IW Council increased the price of a parking permit for us 'oldies’ from £50 to £300 per annum, a quite ridiculous, outrageous increase.
I was so incensed I resolved, as far as possible, not to use IW Council car parks. To that end, I must thank the council as I have only spent around £30 in the last year on parking.
For instance, I have not used any Newport parking in the run up to Christmas, having undertaken all of my purchases either in out-of-town stores or on the internet, none in the Island 'shopping centres’.
Only when the council sees sense and reduces the cost of the permits to a sensible level will I resume using the council car parks.
I trust many other pensioners have taken similar action as only when enough of us 'rebel’ and the council suffers financially will they re-introduce inexpensive parking again.