I READ with interest an article you published some weeks ago regarding Mr Borland s derelict vegetable shop in the centre of Ely. The article stated the council has ordered him to renovate the shop by February 28 or face fines. I totally agree with these

I READ with interest an article you published some weeks ago regarding Mr Borland's derelict vegetable shop in the centre of Ely. The article stated the council has ordered him to renovate the shop by February 28 or face fines. I totally agree with these findings as the shop is an eyesore in the middle of our beautiful city. However, this warning, it seems, has been totally ignored by Mr Borland and he has flouted the ruling by doing nothing, which is a disgrace and an insult to the people and visitors to Ely.

I then read a letter in your paper from Elaine Griffith-Singh (Letters March 2) in which she states that The Daily Mail had printed a picture of the derelict building and described it as "an unwanted business premises" and she says "this is not the case". A strange thing to say, as you reported the shop has been "empty and boarded up for more than two years." Hardly a wanted property I'd say.

Does this mean that ECDC is impotent when dealing with important local issues like this? That council orders can be simply ignored and treated with such a disregard and disrespect? If so then, this means that a dangerous precedent has been set that will allow all kinds of similar anti-social behaviour such as this.

I think the landlord, Mr Borland, should be forced to comply with the orders given and smarten up his premises. Perhaps then the shop could be rented out and actually add to the Ely shopping experience championed so regularly and loudly by Elaine Griffith-Singh, rather than bring the city into disrepute on a national scale via newspapers like The Daily Mail. Bad press like this can only harm the shopkeepers she, so often, speaks on behalf of.

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