IT saddens and annoys me how bad planning over the years has destroyed Bournemouth.

I remember how nice the town used to be in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

There were cinemas and an ice rink in Westover Road, large discotheques such as the Maison Royale, pop concerts and summer shows at the Winter Gardens.

We had a swimming and diving pool with steam near the pier, Beales department store and a very nice clock in the centre of the beautiful roundabout in the Square.

There was a very well located bus station in Exeter Road which made it very easy not only to meet friends, but to catch a bus to leave.

Why it was never rebuilt after the fire is beyond me.

Instead we have bus stops stuck all over the town which are unsightly and difficult to use.

The Winter Gardens has been demolished and the BIC is empty.

The pier area is an unsightly mess and the giant balloon makes the whole town look like a circus.

On the top of Richmond Hill, oversized buildings dominate the skyline.

CHRIS LUCAS Sandbanks