Why help London Road when it is too late?

With reference to Andy Tate's article, entitled "Is London Road in Terminal Decline?" (The Argus, October 18), here is the real truth.

Having had a shop in London Road for the past l5 years, I have seen it deteriorate badly.

It started when Marks & Spencer moved out.

Then, in its wisdom, Brighton and Hove City Council made the road hard to get in to and out of by introducing a one-way system.

But worst of all has been the lack of parking and making the road a "clearway", with wardens waiting to pounce even if customers park for just a few moments.

Without parking, specialist shops have no way of surviving and only food shops remain.

Ask any person living in Hove if they would shop in London Road and most would say "no way".

With boarded-up shops come drop-outs and other problems.

And now the council says the road is in need of some attention.

Too little, too late, we say.

-Sandra Leff, Brighton