Sir - Hardly a day has gone by recently without the Worcester News carrying a major item regarding another well known `High Street` retailer offering to open a large store in the city - Sainsbury`s, M&S, Waitrose, Next and John Lewis to name but a few.

Wonderful news for the car-bound shopper who will drive to the outskirts, park, shop and leave.

Contrast this vision of a shopping paradise with that experienced in Solihull, where the same heady mix of big names and, crucially, small independent retailers, can be found in the town centre.

There the centre is alive, vibrant and crucially, draws in shoppers and visitors who might not otherwise visit Solihull, what a contrast to the `shopper trail` we will offer - out of town shopping where to be honest they could be anywhere and where the one certainty is a city centre ever declining until it becomes a rather small tourist attraction.

Viewing this policy of positive encouragement for out of town shopping one can suddenly place the demise of Park & Ride in context. Is this really the future we are wishing for?

Dr. Malcolm Nixon

Worcester