Sir, It seems that, to some people, being pro-Morrison’s means being anti-Wallingford. Nothing could be further from the truth. It would appear that, judging from his reply to my earlier letter, I was too subtle for Mr John Gordon. Correspondents Sheila Drinkall and Sue White got the point.

Surely no one believes that everyone in Wallingford and its surrounding villages shops mainly in Wallingford. No matter what happens, many local people will continue to shop at Waitrose and Pettit’s and Champion’s because those are their shops of choice. The less affluent (or should I say ‘more discerning’) members of our community need an alternative. Many, many already travel by car or bus to shop in Didcot. Didcot will become even more attractive to shoppers when the recently announced Orchard Centre expansion is completed, possibly in 2016. In addition to Marks & Spencer I have heard the name John Lewis mentioned. The arrival of one or two national chains will certainly attract others. But it’s not only the Orchard Centre is it? It’s also the likes of B & M and Aldi so why not Iceland and Lidl?

This is what Wallingford’s local traders should be worrying about. The point about the Morrison’s store is that it will, hopefully, keep many shoppers within the environs of Wallingford and therefore, with the help of the new bus service, provide the possibility that those shoppers will also use the town’s shops. So, Morrison’s needs to be built now and be fully established and operational just as quickly as the concrete sets otherwise only double-deckers will have sufficient capacity for the X2 Wallingford – Didcot bus service.

As an aside, perhaps Mr Gordon would like to comment on the increasing number of Waitrose’s non-food sections and their impact on the local shops and market. Further, I was born and brought up in Cumbria so know Kendal quite well. The situation in that town (population approaching 30,000) cannot be compared with Wallingford.

The impact on Kendal results from planning decisions relating directly to the town of Kendal taken by South Lakeland District Council. In Wallingford’s case, the impact results from SODC planning decisions regarding a completely different town, i.e. Didcot with Wallingford left to bear the consequences.

Rod Paddock Wallingford