Councillor Bolton, please do not insult my intelligence regarding the false assumptions in your letter and on your Southville blog ("Small shops will suffer from store", Open Lines, September 11).

At no point have I stated that the building of a superstore would not have an impact on the surrounding area. Of course it would! If it did not, what would be the point of building it.

Also, I do not require your patronising lecture on how and why people shop. Hardly rocket science.

Councillor Bolton's agenda is purely "stop Tesco" and not for the full benefit of those who live or work in the area.

His tired argument was used by others when Asda, East Street and Sainsbury, Winterstoke Road were in the pipeline. Wow, what an impact these two giants had.

If we believed the reports at the time, all of the small and independent shops would be long gone. East and North Streets would resemble ghost towns. May I respectfully suggest that Councillor Bolton devotes his energy to exploring ways to maximise the potential benefits that could be accrued by, as stated on his website "the use of joined-up thinking" for any future development.

I support and use outlets in North Street. They would benefit if the stupid parking restrictions were removed. Also, if the high levels of business tax demanded of them was reviewed. Allow North Street to evolve as it has over the past decades.

Do not cocoon it and turn it into a time-warp museum piece.

Haydn Stenner, A passionate Bristolian.