So Tendring Council has decided that the “prized” focal point of the Mayflower 400 celebrations in Harwich is to be the Esplanade Hall and has not included the Harwich Mayflower Heritage Centre in their plans.

Let’s do a comparison, is it ready for use? No, ownership is not yet established. The building requires extensive and costly repairs just to make it safe. The cost of which has not been disclosed.

Is there access to public transport links? No, not on a bus route. It is approximately half a mile from the railway and bus station. There is limited parking in council car park and on the streets for cars only. The roads are too narrow for coaches to turn. There is no disabled access and facilities, no access at back or front, no disabled toilets.

The Harwich Mayflower Heritage Centre is ready for use. Established in 2009 as the Harwich Mayflower Project, it has a purpose built modern visitor centre, a railway and shipping museum and is in Harwich Town Station.

There is access to transport with the railway and shipping museum in the old town station ideally suited as a reception for the site. The station is the terminus for rail services to and from from Manningtree and bus services for Colchester and Clacton. There will be parking for up to 12 coaches and 150 cars with access off the A120, designated disabled parking, and pick up and drop off points out at the front of the station.

There is also disabled access to the station and down the platform to the railyard, visitor centre, goods shed and ship. There are disabled toilets and catering facilities.

Paul Milsom (Letters, February 8) asks us to “join forces to make Mayflower celebration special” and wants events “year in, year out”.

I have been a volunteer since 2015 and have watched the staff of the Mayflower Project work tirelessly, and travel to events and meetings in the UK and abroad, discussing and promoting Mayflower 400.

There has been little or no support from Tendring Council over the last ten years and as we go forward into the next 25 years as a heritage centre the fact that the Mayflower Project/Heritage Centre continues to be ignored because of an unfounded “bad reputation” is outrageous.

So people of Tendring, it’s your money, what do you think?

Elizabeth Comley

Marine Parade, Dovercourt