SIR – For a city that is dying on its feet, to spend £500 million on a canal is ridiculous.

Who will use this canal? The few who have access to a canal barge.

Why would they come to Forster Square? Just to travel on a new section of canal.

What will they do when they get to Forster Square? Turn round and go back.

How much will they spend in Bradford? Absolutely nothing.

What kind of investment is that?

The sum of £500 million would build us the best retail complex in the land on the Westfield site. We could also restore and refurbish the Odeon into a magnificent concert hall/convention centre that would attract many visitors from far and wide, and fill all the new hotels.

Now that would be the sensible way to spend £500 million.

But we all know that Bradford Council don’t do ‘sensible’.

Keith Rayner, Laburnum Drive, Baildon EDITOR’S NOTE: The £500 million figure put forward was said to include the development of houses and business premises. The Council hopes the joint venture partnership will attract private funding and give it a key decision-making role without spending huge amounts of taxpayers’ money. The Council’s regeneration development manager, Simon Woodhurst, said: “Investigations, potentially including major transport and canal restoration infrastructure, have produced broad estimates in the region of £166 million.”