REGARDING the article ‘Cars should not be focus for upgrades’ (Daily Echo, January 5).

Cllr Greene says "the only way to tackle congestion is by persuading people to use alternative transport", but we have heard that trotted out for years and it is not the "only" way, albeit highly desirable.

How about we take some of the work to the people instead of people to the work?

Over 350 apartments could be built at the Winter Gardens and another 80 on the Punshon Memorial site plus all the other new blocks in the centre of Bournemouth, but no more local employment sites. We need to move with the times and more importantly, look forward.

There are too many department stores for modern shopping trends. Marks and Spencer in Bournemouth has already gone.

These huge spaces could be converted into high quality offices so that people who live close, can work close and hopefully will be tempted into the remaining stores and make use of the leisure facilities and restaurants available without using their cars.

You could even include something to really attract people in to the town centre all year round, on the lines of the Granville Island Market and artist community in Vancouver or La Boqueria in Barcelona.

We should not follow Manchester that has concentrated on supplying living accommodation which attracts younger professionals into the centre and is heading for a crisis as they age.

Policies in Bournemouth's Core Strategy/previous Local Plan are just carried over for years with no regard to their present relevance.

W SHARP

Elm Cottages, Holdenhurst Village