IT was pleasing to read in your paper the account by Barbara Jordan of the award of the National Design Accolade 2005 which has been won by The Brindley Theatre and Arts Centre.

It is indeed a pleasant venue and an improvement to the town centre.

I have visited the theatre several times and have enjoyed the performances and also the various facilities available.

However, I wonder if councillor Rob Polhill and his board members on the planning committee having congratulated themselves on this project would cast their eyes on the buildings a few yards up the road, which have been allowed to become derelict. The backs of these buildings can be seen from the car park where no doubt theatregoers and visitors to The Brindley would leave their cars.

The buildings were once, I am sure, the pride and joy of the people who designed and built them and even now would surely be an asset to the town centre in Runcorn.

It is unfortunate that Halton Council in general and the planning committee in particular do not feel the need to keep them in good repair.

It would be pleasant to leave the theatre and wander along High Street and enjoy a view of the shops or even a nice building.

At the moment it would appear the buildings are only appreciated by the pigeons that fly in and out of the upper windows, which are derelict and devoid of glass and a ground floor level a row of derelict boarded up shops.

I live in hope.

Margaret Easton,

Goldcrest Close,

Beechwood,

Runcorn