I read with interest the article in the Local Guardian (Traders lose during regeneration work, February 26) that local traders were losing business due to the Rediscover Mitcham project and in particular Mr Ahmad Noreldeen of the Orange Cafe.

While I would normally have sympathy with businesses who lose out while the council carries out their work, in this case I have little.  A number of businesses like the Orange Cafe were supportive of this poorly planned development and they were blinded by the council's promise of a utopian trading area once the Fair Green had been transformed.   They were obviously not advised well on the amount of disruption that would take place and how it would affect businesses while it was going on.  If they were then perhaps they would have been less supportive of the plan.

My observations on the area recently are that many people are staying away because of this no-man's-land in the middle of Mitcham.  This must have affected business for these traders and the market looks even worse now with its fragmented layout adding to the problem.

If they return once the work is finished is yet to be known, my guess is that some will not as they will have found pastures new to shop and as to whether this will now attract the magical 6,000 new shoppers to Mitcham promised by the council would seem almost laughable at the moment as it is quite possible that a number of businesses will go under because of this loss of trade.

Regards

Alan Hutchings

Mitcham Independent Party