WITH reference to your article in today’s Echo regarding the furore about the proposed building of the Lidle Distribution Centre at Ower.

Being a Sotonian, I am in no way involved in the arguments, but it seems that most of the people interviewed and asked their opinions of the positioning of the Centre, come from areas in no way, or at best, only slightly, affected by whether or not the building is built there.

It is therefore possible that a large percentage of people signing in support of the Centre could just as easily sign against it with no real care about the intrusion into the daily life of the locals.

I note that of the four people photographed only one was local to the building, thus giving the apparent endorsement of the majority. Of the remaining three, one was from Thornhill, so how this person was going to be affected was not clear to me. The two gentlemen from Totton and Eling, although much nearer, again are not in the same circumstances as the Ower inhabitants.

Every one interviewed spouted the same view, more jobs, but I wonder what all these people who are shouting their approval would say if they were informed that the building was going to be built a few metres away from their homes? Could it just be that in most cases its “Thank goodness its not in my back yard and if we don’t sign in approval, it just might be’’.

MR D HARDER, Southampton.