Scottish bard Robert Burns (1759-1796) wrote many wise words.

Among the most memorable are: “O wad some power the gift to gie us to see ourselves as others see us it would from many a blunder free us.”

I think this can be applied in principle to Northwich Regeneration.

We should carry out attitude research in towns such as Nantwich, Tarporley and Knutsford to establish how Northwich is perceived, and to tailor our promotion to this image.

CWaC have a research department who could probably do this.

I suspect we may be regarded as a rather run-down relic of a great industrial past with nothing much to offer visitors now.

But, whatever the image revealed by this research, we should take action to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative, starting with somewhere good to eat, possibly a franchise restaurant located in an area of minimal flooding and maximum flood protection – or on a boat!

I wonder whether such a large regeneration expenditure, estimated £105m, will be required, since many of the thousands of newcomers from the Winnington Village and the 650 new homes in Hartford will need to shop in the town.

Though what effect that will have on our famous gyratory system, I shudder to think.

Stuart Hogg Whitegate