SIR - Over a period of time now, I have observed what I believe to be the three main issues that people have raised in the Sidmouth Herald and how the situations have worsened over time. It seems to me that we have to take responsibility for our beautiful location because the council are just not addressing our concerns.

The town centre is becoming a bland front for multinational franchises .Councillor Stuart Hughes opening Costa Coffee, is this taking the biscuit, or what?

Sidmouth has now become a seagull colony. People having to keep their windows closed throughout the summer due to the noise levels from the flying rats.

The filth they create and the cost of cleaning up after them is just ridiculous, the birds seem to have more rights than the citizens of Sidmouth.

The council hide in the long grass and talk about what they can’t do. I have lived in parts of the UK that have a culling policy and, guess what, it works.

The overdevelopment of East Devon - 10,000 to 15,000 new homes in the area. Councils will get to keep some of the planning gain that occurs when development is allowed. This could mean big sums of money for them.

The capitulation to the short term, the surrender to immediate market forces, this refusal to act as stewards to what is a precious and valuable.

Developers will quickly throw up their boxes then and run, an aesthetic injustice.

Each generation has a solemn duty to hand the world to its successors in a condition that was not only more prosperous, but also more beautiful.

The bare fact is that our beautiful area is being degraded and the council seem to be encouraging it.

If we, the community and stewards of Sidmouth, do not take responsibility to protect our town, then no one else will. What action to take I am not sure?

The government talk about the big society and people taking more responsibility, however, it seems rather confusing.

James Cocks, in his letter to the Herald, wrote about the Campaign to Protect Rural England www.cpre.org.uk and visiting the site.

All I understand is that momentum must come from the people of Sidmouth, we know that our elected representatives will not serve us.

Tony Coulson

37 Anstis Court, Sidmouth