DID other readers notice the irony of your report 'Shops are filling up in Kendal' being placed next to 'Kendal’s New Look will close its doors'? (Business, August 23). Elsewhere there are reports of Argos and Carphone Warehouse moving from the Westmorland Shopping Centre to out of town locations.

I have long questioned the effectiveness of South Lakeland District Council’s retail vacancies statistics. Far better to record how long retail businesses survive than allow councillors to crow about economic success based on meaningless figures.

Just a few weeks ago you ran another report about market towns 'booming' based to a certain extent on 'apparent footfall' - whatever that is. If visitor numbers are up where are they parking, given that most will arrive by car?

This earlier 'success' story once again allowed councillors and 'business leaders' to shout about their achievements.

Perhaps the time has come for them to remove their rose-tinted spectacles, stop praising the emperor’s new clothes and respond to the challenges facing Kendal’s retail sector.

Stuart Jones

Kendal