Letter of the week: Bury main road in tunnel to save Hartlepool town centre

Our letter writer is not convinced that recent improvements to Church Square will revitalise the area and suggests a more radical solution.

This money is a waste of resources, if it is left in limbo. City Challenge money was pumped in 20 years ago, to the tune of £25 million.

That is roughly £35 million in today’s terms.

It did not work.

The only way to breathe life into the Church Street area is to link it with shopping centre/York Road.

This may sound completely mad, but the running sore is the Stockton Road dual carriageway.

Whilst this exists in its current form then the Church Street area will continue to wither ad infinitum.

An expensive, but possible, solution would be a road tunnel from Park Road to the junction for Wilkinsons or Morrisons petrol station.

The bus station/outdoor market could re-locate onto the area above the tunnel and create a physical link to the college/Church Street area. I understand this would be a huge multi-million project and a big ask.

Remember, when we all laughed in the early 80s, when someone proposed turning our derelict docks into a marina.

Last week's Letter of the week: Hartlepool Borough Council should help save our Heugh Battery Funnily enough, we now take the marina as being an everyday part of town.

There is more money earmarked for further marina development.

Our council should use a bit more logic and realise the marina has plateaued to a good level.

The next step is to link the two halves of the town centre.

I am old enough to remember Lynn Street shopping (just) and do not possess rose-tinted glasses.

Church Street and Lynn Street etc has gone and the only way to breathe life into area is to think big.

Come on councillors – stop staring at your navels and think big – the past has passed – who wants to be the next Ward Jackson?

Dave Sutheran.

Towers Hair Design.

Hartlepool.