I was pleased to read in the Standard this week that the council are going ahead with the town square.

Then I thought what town?

We don’t have one, lots of empty shops because the rents are astronomical (or should that be comical) surely if the council used its brains it could let the shops free of rent for six months, then when the business has taken off let them for half the rent for another six months until they are established, then they could pay the going rate.

Surely half a loaf is better than nothing, its not rocket science.

So come on you 16 councillors use your brains and help this town to survive, also use a bit of muscle on Tendring Council instead of letting them walk all over you and the people of this town.

The seafront could do with a lot of help as well.

The small lighthouse on the prom near Harbour Crescent could be made into a shop by putting a counter around half of it and selling tea cloths with scenes of Harwich on, coasters with the same, windmills and balloons, and other things with Harwich on, I am sure visitors to the town would be interested in buying such things of their visit to our town.

So use your brains again and make the seafront a going concern, hot dog vans, doughnuts, seafood, burgers, candy floss etc.

Why not take a trip to Bognor Regis and see their seafront and get some ideas why other seasides thrive and we don’t.

We have so much potential and history to work with so use it to the towns advantage and put us on the map.

Harwich was a thriving community once.

We can make it so again with a bit of effort, we wouldn’t have half the crime get the youngsters involved ask them for ideas.

The band stand could be used every weekend for the youngsters to play their kind of music. A lot of them can play instruments so give them a chance, they wouldn’t be so keen to wreck things if they were involved.

The dubs is another example, ask for volunteers to help clear the area supervised of course.

I am sure local tradesmen would be pleased to to teach the youngsters how to go about making the place a going concern for a small remuneration.

We could have tea rooms, gift shops, etc in there.

Therefore getting the money coming into Harwich from visitors and locals instead of taking the visitors on a coach to Clacton and Colchester to spend their money, surely it is better to spend any money we are allocated from Tendring Council to better use than putting up a few flower baskets on lamp posts.

Joan Cooper

Minerva Close, Harwich