ROY Phillips, of St Joseph's Court, Carlton Place, Teignmouth, writes:

Your page 2 article in the Teignmouth Post – headed Carlton Theatre design: complainants advised to write to district council – beggars belief. What are councillors elected for? Why then pay nearly a quarter of a million pounds each year for a town council of 12 councillors, and for six district councillors to look after the town and its residents' interests at Teignbridge?

For more than 40 years Teignmouth's residents have been repeatedly promised a decent replacement building to help answer the needs for a quality theatre and sundry other community uses. The Teignmouth Players, since they were formed, have saved Teignbridge some £2 million in running costs.

Dozens of wonderful people have given freely of their time and money down these years, trying to achieve this sum.

During my 24 years on the town council endless promises were made, commitments given, reassurances given to so many committees that what would be built would answer at least some of this town's urgent cultural and economic needs.

Of the very many millions of pounds Teignbridge has gained from the sale of prized Teignmouth assets over the years, and the most recent £10m plus from Broadmeadow, what proportion has been reinvested in our town? The Carlton Theatre site is worthy of a building to match, a building that can pay for its own operational costs as well as making a decent annual profit while providing subsidised rental to local organisations and a much-needed enclosed area for large special events.

Above all, it should provide a theatre worthy of all the good people who have worked towards this over so many years.

The town council and its 12 councillors should refuse to accept anything less and the town's six district councillors need, for once, to speak with one voice and reject this cheap version of what can and should be built on the site.

Why do they not all resign and thus force a full town and district election in Teignmouth on this issue? For once, let them forget their politics and put the interests of this town and its residents first – where they should have always been.MORE LETTERS IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION