While not wanting to appear too negative, it would seem that this proposal for the Winter Gardens requires a little scrutiny (Daily Echo, November 26).

Are the new hotels as well as, or instead of, the proposed Hilton in Exeter Road? The temporary ice rink presumably will find itself in competition with the Kings Park development, as will the new food store competing with Tesco just across the square.

Are the 26,000 square feet of commercial units instead of the 17 new restaurants and new cinemas in the Town Centre master vision of the old bus station? This clearly is a smoke screen to sweeten the application for building 240 high rise apartments, a large number of which will be bought as second homes and holiday lets, and will do nothing to boost the dire winter economy in our town.

It is not too difficult to see who will be the main beneficiaries of such a scheme.

Geoff Cooper, St Albans Avenue, Bournemouth