However, without careful consideration it could turn out to be a disaster to the most venerable members of our town and nearby villages.
A poorly conceived and badly located clinic will drive the young, mobile populous away from traditional GP practices, which in turn will reduce business profitability and drive away the most able, aspiring, young entrepreneurial practitioners to other towns without the competition and for greater financial reward.

The potential is that this will leave the elderly and children with a worse GP service, since they are highly unlikely to access modern walk-in services that are primarily designed for the younger working population.

So far the public consultations have been poorly attended.
Thereby the town and wider community remain poorly informed and unlikely to engage the PCT to ensure that all services they deserve are retained.

It would be foolhardy to rely on the PCT's version of events, and I would urge you to be involved before the local consultation period ends with the last meeting tonight Thursday (June 26) 6.30pm to 8.30pm at The Priory Centre.
Peter Franks

Has cinema been a waste of time?
>> Just how many hours of valuable officer time (and not so valuable councillors time), has been wasted over the years, chasing the elusive dream of a cinema for St Neots.

Cllr Giles had an operator just waiting in the wings before last year's town elections. Or was this just another false election promise?
Yet still he tries to raise false hopes with talk of mythical operators interested in undisclosed sites. It really is time for Cllr Giles to put up or shut up – we are all tired of the smoke and mirrors.

Pull the rabbit out of the hat Derek, or just admit that it has joined the famous parrot in the bottom of the cage. Perhaps then we can persuade our Lord of the Manor to let the town use his million pound gift for the two leisure centres that are being promised – The Maltings and Bargroves – thus avoiding the need to borrow money and put every rate payer into debt.
Bob Barnes
Chestnut Grove
St Neots 

Why no antenna objections?
>> I am totally shocked that St Neots Town Council is so out of touch with its own residents, or is quite happy to ride rough shod over them.
At Wednesday, June 18's meeting of its planning committee, councillors agreed to approve proposals which will see the installation of three further antennas on poles at the water tower on Bushmead Road, Eaton Socon.

Cllr Fiona Birks, for Eaton Socon, said there were no formal objections to the proposals.
But the evening prior to the planning meeting there was a press release stating that local residents had been informed of the proposals by Huntingdonshire District Council and given notice to comment and that so far just over 50 concerned homeowners had signed a petition to stop the applications approval.

Virtually half of the signatories actually live in the same street as Cllr Fiona Birks.
O2 sent letters and plans to the ward councillors and to the clerk of St Neots Town Council on March 26 for consultation, but no response was given.

I fully intend to represent the residents of Eaton Socon at district council. It is, after all, the reason people choose to elect councillors.

I fail to see how the people of Eaton Socon and St Neots can have faith in a town council which neglects to consider them in developments being imposed on their own doorsteps, particularly when one of its own councillors is a close neighbour.
Cllr Mandy Thomas
Conservative Party
Eaton Socon Ward
Huntingdonshire District Council

...or is it just
nimbyism?
>> Once again we've seen a demonstration of that Great British pastime – Nimbyism.
The story about the mobile phone antennas (Town Crier, June 19) is ill-considered and clearly hasn't been properly researched.
There has been no proper proof that such phone masts cause any ill health, and frankly better mobile phone reception is much more important than some phantom cancer threat.

Most of us rely on our mobiles these days, and I suspect its only the vocal minority who actually care about such issues.
We're all going to die sometime, and there are so many things out there which can get us that it simply isn't worth living a life in fear of what 'may' happen.
J Clarke
St Neots

More sports facilities please
>> It was nice to see that local gymnast Louis Smith has been selected for the Olympics.
We should all be very proud of Huntingdon Olympic Gymnastics Club as it is clearly one of the best facilities of its kind in the country.
It's also good to see St Neots FC have a plush new home and a new sports centre being planned for Little Paxton.

However, I still believe there is a real lack of sporting facilities in the area as a whole. More should be done to encourage sport at all ages and levels of abilities – the benefits of a fit and healthy lifestyle are well documented, and sporting success always gives the country a lift, and boy does this country need one of those.

With all the new homes being built, I hope the decision makers take a long hard look at the facilities in the area and try to ensure any growth of population is properly matched by its infrastructure.
T Jacobs
Hunts