Ray Bridges, of Clarence Street, Dartmouth, writes:

A visitor with a family ­arriving in Dartmouth by car from the Higher Ferry would think that the town had lost control of its destiny.

They would arrive on the north embankment, head for the town centre past an awful concrete pavement without proper paving on their left side, while on the right they would see Coronation Park, which since its use as a car park ­during Regatta Week is a ­disaster area unfit for children to use and on which no games can be played.

A building called ‘Sails’ is straight ahead, still incomplete yet looking as if it is falling down; and on the left the view of the river is obscured by the camper vans and trucks parked permanently on the main road into Dartmouth until May 2016.

However, this family is ­determined to see Dartmouth because they have heard that it is an attractive town, and so they drive on around the Boatfloat, mud-filled now because the tide is out.

Enough is enough: they decide to drive to Totnes using the main road out of Dart-mouth, Mayors Avenue, which goes through the Travis Perkins builders yard, where they can admire the broken kerb stones because they have to wait a few minutes while unloading takes place; then they set off once again past the camper vans and the collapsing building. Totnes here we come!

Oh for the day when Dartmouth Town Council can make its own decisions about town planning.