I, LIKE most residents, watched for years as local councillors fumbled and politicked over the lack of a cinema in Wyre Forest.

I have no links of any sort with the Warehouse Cinema in Kidderm-inster, but I presume the owners finally decided to do something for their community, risk a large amount of their own money, and despite planning interference up to the last minute, have offered at least the most popular new films weekly.

Some months ago the talk I overheard everywhere "on the street" was basically "what on earth are the council doing talking about another multi-screen cinema in Worcester Street?" At the time it was dismissed.

Now, in last week's Shuttle/Times and News, we see the council leader suggesting three cinema chains have made proposals for this site for a multi-screen.

Two things occur to me:

1 Merry Hill, serving a much bigger population, has a 10- screen cinema which nevertheless is quiet three or four nights a week.

2 People and investors will now realise how the council acts towards a small local business and also how short-sighted it is, as it is obvious to anyone that two cinemas will not survive in this town.

If a multi-screen candidate comes in, both cinemas will find it very tough, and Kidderminster will end up with no cinema at all once again.

Again, that will be the council's fault for lack of joined-up strategy.

ROBIN VAUGHAN

Griffin Avenue, Kidderminster