LIKE many ex-directors of the Hereford City Partnership, I was amazed to read in last week's Hereford Times the remarks of Nigel Hudson, the Rural Development Officer of Advantage West Midlands, regarding Hereford's plight.

We, who are ex-directors, are so out of frustration in the dealings with AWM over the regeneration of the City of Hereford.

Over the last two years or more AWM has funded salaries and also financed reports, as arranged in conjunction with them, on the regeneration of the central area of the city.

This was identified back in the year 2000 as being of vital importance as cities, like Hereford, had missed out on the opportunity of any grants.

The report was prepared as detailed by AWM and within the required timetable, in fact it had to be re submitted because they moved the goalposts. It was still acceptable and I know there is a letter on file stating the bid was acceptable and ready to go ahead.

It is totally wrong to accuse the council now of not marketing Hereford properly.

Nigel Hudson compares the City of Living Crafts with the Rotherwas access road but, to start with, they are two totally separate areas and aspects of city life - Living Crafts has much to do with tourism, while Rotherwas access road (which could be part of a by-pass- or perhaps this is forward thinking!!), is to create a much needed access to the industrial heart of Hereford.

Councillor Chris Chappell is quite right in his remarks that money is going to the inner cities of the larger conurbations: Coventry is having a car museum funded by AWM, while we can't get one penny of the money promised after meeting all the requirements.

Instead of sitting back on the said accusations, I would have thought it is time the council approached central government to ascertain how the money allocated to AWM is being distributed.

Trevor Swindells,

Castle Street, Hereford.