I have been living in Erith for 10 years. I run a small business and employ local people and I have brought up my three children here.

Erith does not have much to offer at present but I make the most of what is here.

I too was looking forward to the rejuvenation of Erith and had visions, like many other residents, of things to come.

I wanted to be involved in the new development plans and so attended the consultation when invited and also wrote in giving my views.

This turned out to be a complete waste of time. Like myself, many residents who attended the meeting felt the present swimming pool site overlooking the Thames should be used for the benefit of the area and to bring people to it.

A 15-year-old girl suggested it should be turned into an ice-skating rink with a cafe above. What a great idea!

At present, people in Bexley have to travel to Gillingham or Streatham to go ice-skating. So a rink in the borough would bring people into the town and benefit residents.

Another suggestion was to build a tourist hotel like the Clarenden, in Blackheath, where there would be entertainment and where people could hold their wedding receptions. There was also talk of boats taking people from the pier into London. The potential is endless.

I am not sure what the point of these consultations is, as nobody listened and it has been decided to turn the site into private flats.

This, of course, is good for the builders because flats overlooking the Thames fetch big money.

In order to keep residents happy, they are incorporating a multi- purpose hall on the second floor.

But, in my experience, multi-purpose halls in private housing lead to residents complaining about the noise, the hall being locked up and no-one knowing where the key is.

The council has so much land in Erith for flats. Why does it not turn around the last-remaining beauty spot in Erith and give it to the people so we can all be proud of it?

Mrs M Lewis Erith