I RECENTLY revisited my university town, Durham City.

For obvious reasons its centre has always been busy and popular with tourists.

I found that every street leading to the market place had been pedestrianised and the footfall that this has generated is amazing.

We had the greatest difficulty finding a cafe that was not crowded with customers.

The traders who seem to be vetoing the partial pedestrianisation of part of Bottom Street are being very myopic.

I suspect it is the temporary loss of custom from the disruption of installation that is worrying them.

Could they not be compensated in some way – a relief on business rates, perhaps?

Paul Thomson

Mobberley