Sir, – In your boxed article last week, Zofia Lovell put the case against the present East Street development plans very succinctly. Many other excellent letters have appeared, bemoaning what the WBC is about to perpetrate on the citizens of Farnham. The upshot is. Please stop now, before it is too late. If there is a majority in favour, as we are told, it is an exceptionally silent majority How about settling this spurious argument once and for all, by plebiscite/referendum? In the oldest democracy, Switzerland, this is still the favourite way to resolve contentious local, and occasionally national, issues. Why could it not be tried here? WBC's steadfast refusal to budge is almost understandable in view of the thousands of man hours spent by their officers on this matter. But we have all heard of institutional blindness. This is Farnham's business, and it requires a determined town councillor, with possible help from our MP Jeremy Hunt, to take the bit between his or her teeth. Various volunteer groups, not least the East Street Action Group would hopefully come to immediate support. Yes, to the north of the Brightwells Bowling Green and the superb tennis courts it looks a mess. But that is a relatively small area! Rehabilitation of the Redgrave – possibly with combined cinema facilities – would take care of half this neglected land. The admirable Farnham Theatre Association should proceed at high speed to substantiate its claim that this can be achieved with private funds and hence will not require any Waverley subsidy. St Andrew's has achieved such a feat, involving comparable sums quite recently. Even without a resuscitated Redgrave, no more is needed than one or two "infill" developments of the Lion and Lamb/Borelli Yard ilk. Also a real challenge, but with so much local architectural and development skills and knowledge, not beyond Farnham's reach, as it has proved in the past. And, just a detail, the present South Street Sainsbury car park has grown on Farnhamians, few of whom would support another example of so-called creative destruction. Thus, at the 11th hour it might still be possible to avoid three to five years of utter, ruinous chaos, leaving Farnham, if commerce survived, looking like a mini-Woking. Dr Hans DuMoulin, Old Compton Lane, Farnham