It seems our readers are more forward thinking than our town councillors who appear to have little or no vision for the future. Our readers are coming up with applications that we feel sure that councillors have not thought about for the Neath Empire building - see our Readers' Letter Page.
It is a ready made building that is structurally sound - and, as more than one reader has said, the cost of demolition and removing the remains to a land-fill site would more than cover the cost of refurbishment.
What is perhaps is more serious for the council, if the demolition goes ahead, is that the younger generation will never forgive the Labour controlled council who agreed to it. As far as their parents are concerned, they are very much aware that youngsters have nowhere to go in the evenings and on weekends - and this could influence the way they vote in May.
It could be a turning point for Labour - the end of the Labour Empire in Neath. We would certainly not like to be in the shoes of some councillors in this year of council elections.
Editorial Note The above report basically summarises letters received on the subject of the Neath Empire. It highlights the points made by various readers in an attempt to focus thoughts on the issue. It must be said that, to date, we have received no letters in favour of the council's decision to replace the building with social housing flats.
