DERBY TODAY

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Derby's council buildings and roads are falling apart and the city council needs £176m for repairs. The council said that some of the maintenance problems were a legacy inherited from Derbyshire County Council when the city council became a unitary authority in 1997.

Derby's Assembly Rooms and Guildhall need £8.34m in upgrades despite the fact that the Assembly Rooms were only built in 1977 at a cost of £4.5m. In July 2003, Derby City Council's highways department estimated it needed to spend £20m repairing the city's roads and pavements.

But only 12 months later, that figure suddenly increased to £28m despite a never-ending programme of roadworks. There are approximately 839 miles of pavements and more than 403 miles of roads in the city. The "life" for each stretch is around 25 years, but the current rate of repairs means that each pavement is renewed on average only every 150 YEARS!

Quite clearly, the great and good in charge of our city have been unable to manage and maintain what we already have, yet they are proposing to spend more of our money on shiny "new" projects. The £28m needed for new roads should come from the £35m that the council proposes to waste on Connecting Derby. Will the option of not building the new roads be given to the people who attend the future Connecting Derby consultation meetings?

In fact, how can the council call it consultation if the plans are already decided? Quite rightly, we are trying to make Derby's roads and roundabouts look better. So people should enjoy the trees and flowerbeds near the DRI while they can, because soon most of them will disappear. But perhaps these real green gems in our city should not expect too much protection from the Environmental Statement (priced at an easily affordable £100!) that supports Connecting Derby. After all, this states St Helen's House will be enhanced by building two more traffic lanes on its doorstep. Richard Butler

Making large areas of the city centre traffic-free is yet another classic example of a good idea not working. Take a stroll along any pedestrianised street in Derby and you take your life in your hands. Although delivery vehicles seeming to be forever trying to negotiate a passage through shoppers is bad enough, the worst danger by far is - the cyclist. And when was the last time you saw a cyclist stop at a red traffic light?

The 'Connecting Derby' scheme is continuing to make a shambles of Victoria Street. The traffic lights remain on red for twenty minutes, passengers have to board buses in the middle of the road because taxis are lined up in front of the bus stops and pedestrians still have to negotiate building rubble on the corner with St Peter's Street. And that was BEFORE the 'hole-in-the-road'.

Derby, the country town: a major industrial and commercial centre, the town received city status as "formal recognition of its size and worth" from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on July 28,1977. Derby has a fine Market Hall and Market Place, and attractive gardens along the river bank. There are over 100 parks, playing fields and open spaces in the city, the oldest of which is the Arboretum, which was given to the city by Joseph Strutt in 1840.

But, in recent years, many of Derby's fine buildings have been destroyed and there is a great danger of much more destruction by representatives on Derby City Council, where brain power and the ability to comprehend is very evidently lacking. When will there be an end to this destruction of Derby the country town, with its wonderful old buildings, its magnificent Cathedral and its peaceful memorial gardens? Margaret Taylor

Having recently retired from the Royal Australian Air Force, I decided some time ago to visit some family relatives and old friends around the UK. I am currently in North Yorkshire, having been to London, Cornwall, Bristol and Glasgow since my arrival here in England on January 27 and have been enjoying the new smell of spring in the air which, despite what the song says, is much better than Paris in springtime in my modest view. Over the Easter period, I visited friends who live in Borrowash and was really enjoying my first visit to Derby. Unfortunately, an incident on Good Friday morning somewhat soured the occasion as I walked on one of the town centre streets leading away from the Eagle Centre.

The street was walkers only, and consequently I assumed that no vehicles of any kind were allowed. However, from a side turning a boy of 12 or 13 emerged riding a bike with no hands on the handlebars. The boy almost collided with me after narrowly missing an elderly citizen and I stopped the boy to remonstrate with him regarding his reckless behaviour on a cycle. But no police were evident and it was obvious that I was considered to be the villain of this particular piece. Indeed, to my surprise I was immediately accosted by what I can only call "a piece of pond life" in his mid-20s who then berated me for "getting hold of a kid" and proceeded to tell me how he was prepared to "chin" me right away.

Having spent 25 years in the Aussie forces I was not exactly quivering at the prospect, but it did leave a definite portrayal that Britain is controlled by this sort of behaviour as it appeared that the boy who caused the incident was considered to have the right to behave as he pleased in the town irrespective of the law. My friends had been telling me and my wife of the problems the country had been suffering with youngsters who were considered to be "out of control" but I did not think the problem was quite as serious as they had portrayed. However, this particular incident has obviously changed my view as the "kids" appear to have the right to everything and the responsibility for nothing.

Has the country descended into a state where the young generation rule the streets by fear? Unfortunately I shall not be in your country much longer, indeed by Saturday I shall be back in Sydney, but I have to admit that the incident has had a lasting effect on my perception of your country, which we had always thought of as being rather special and somewhere that we had always wanted to visit. I really can't wait to head home but am very disappointed my dream of Blighty has been tainted by this quite small but nevertheless surprising occurrence. Bill Austen

Derby is all but closed to shoppers. Road works in the city are causing problems for businesses and customers are going to Nottingham and Burton instead to avoid delays and congestion. Figures released by the Chamber of Trade said June sales in the centre had fallen 2.5% compared to the previous year, despite there being rises nationally. The city council said it would do all it could to minimise disruption and the impact on traders.

The Chamber's Chief Executive Ian Ferguson said, "The market is very sensitive and it doesn't take much for people to be put off coming into the city centre. Things are changing all the time, road works are moving and certainly the congestion was worse this month than last." The city council said it met with the chamber on a regular basis to discuss any problems and asked people to bear with them while the city centre was improved. (Source: BBC News, Jul/06)

Recently, my wife and I made a Saturday shopping trip into the city. At the top of East Street, five young lads on skateboards were annoying passers-by, by doing tricks on their boards with the end of a bench and a small wall. Further down East Street, a beggar was sitting outside the Co-op bank asking for cash. Previously, in the Eagle Centre, a group of four or five young lads were annoying shoppers. A security guard who witnessed their antics did nothing.

With recent incidents involving groups of youths in the city you may have though there would have been a police presence, but no. Were we not led to believe that begging was a thing our council was to eradicate? Going into the city to shop used to be an enjoyable experience but not any more. Our journeys to the city will now only be made of necessity. My money will be going to Burton or Nottingham. G Horvath