Sir, Shame, shame, shame on the Co-op for backing down on their original plans and then cooking up a retrospective dog's breakfast as a replacement for the store in West St Helen Street (Report, May 19).
Just for once this town was going to get an innovative and modern building but cries of "Out of keeping with the area!" from deluded, self interested, property price watchers has led the Co-op to believe that an unconvincing pastiche of Olde Worlde, pseudo Tudor, ticky tacky is a viable alternative. It is worth remembering one thing: All the genuinely old and interesting buildings are in East St Helen Street. West St Helen Street has one old building, which is already surrounded by mediocre examples of architectural trends going back . . . oh nearly 40 years.
A modern building is totally in keeping with the area and if it was of good quality it would stand out for all the right reasons.
We are supposed to be getting a store for the 21st century and the design should reflect this. So why are we getting Mrs Miggins Pye Shoppe?
Tim Hunt, Abingdon
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