It was with great disappointment that I read yet another downbeat letter from Mr Burnham in the BFP (Letters, March 7), in which he (once again) criticised Wycombe District Council’s ambition to deliver major redevelopment projects in High Wycombe and across the district. Looking back over the council’s recent track record of urban regeneration, I am struggling to find significant areas for criticism. A few success stories spring to mind: 1. The council-led regeneration scheme in the Dovecote area of High Wycombe, which includes Sainsbury’s, Premier Inn and the skate park, has generated an estimated inward investment of £50million.

2. Hughenden Quarter, a brownfield industrial site close to the centre of town, is currently the subject of a multi-million pound, council-led regeneration scheme which will make the most of its great location for both commercial and residential use for students and the elderly.

3. Eden, High Wycombe. Why Mr Burnham should suggest Eden is not something the council would want on its CV is hard to understand. He may not like its design, but Eden has 14m visitors a year and its financial return to the council is one reason why council tax remains frozen for another year.

And then, of course, there are the multi-million pound plans for the regeneration of Handy Cross, including a brand new sports centre, food store, coachway park and ride and offices. Work on the new sports centre, it should be noted, started on Monday.

As for concerns over the café in Higginson Park, squeezing the building between two historic trees, which required special foundations to avoid tree roots and the relocation of a water main in the process, was no mean feat and inevitably had a cost implication. While the rental return shows a healthy yield on cost for council tax payers, more importantly the building provides a good-looking and much used addition to the park.

While it is true the cafe was designed as ‘outside/inside space’ for seasonal use (much like the previous kiosk), it was the current operator who chose to adapt it for year-round use. Café culture has become even more entrenched in society over the past five years, such that a large chain is now looking at the year-round potential in the building and would be willing to invest in re-fitting it accordingly.

Regrettably, there will always be people who can’t see the good in anything the council does for residents and businesses. Our challenge remains to prove those people wrong. — Cllr Tony Green, Wycombe District Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration