Sir, Alba Proteins, source of the ubiquitous Penrith pong, finds itself regularly the target for local residents’ frustration as well as prospective councillors’ unrealistic manifesto pledges.

Sir, I attended the preview of the Sainsbury’s consultation exhibition on the Penrith New Squares development on Monday evening. Sadly, I was not at all encouraged by what I saw and by the debate I had with members of the Sainsbury’s team.

Sir, I fully agree with the comments made by Mike Martin (Herald, 17th July) that it is time to remove the eyesore that is Southend Road and move on with the Penrith New Squares development, which Sainsbury’s has offered to fund, at its own behest, as soon as possible.

Sir, It’s good news that the Eden Valley has been selected by the Prime Minister to be a “vanguard” community for the Big Society, and that transport might be on the list of local services that could be improved, with the help of local volunteers.

Sir, Once again Penrith residents are expressing concern regarding the infamous and obnoxious odour which is emitted from time to time from the Alba Proteins plant. Most Eden residents will be aware of the long history related to this problem and the action people have taken to address the issues.

Sir, I can’t believe there are still people writing in to voice their total opposition to the Penrith New Squares development. A letter from John Spivey makes a number of points. In one he refers to a branch of Sainsbury’s opening in the town of Wantage, Oxfordshire, and suggested it was supposed to start some sort of boom in that town but failed to do so.

Sir, We hope by now that all your readers at home and abroad will know that something very interesting is going on in Penrith in the first week in August and that they can all join in.

Sir, I do hope people are not taken in by the honeyed words of Mr. Miller (Herald, 3rd July) with regard to Sainsbury’s intentions for New Squares.

Sir, Paul Miller, of Sainsbury’s, is right (Herald, 3rd July) that the Two Lions is a listed historic building, and wrong in wishing to pull it down. Despite its neglected appearance, it is one of the oldest and most interesting buildings in Penrith, and is listed Grade II*.

Sir, One of the marks of a civilised society is the care of the elderly. As a cultural and social anthropologist, returning from Africa in the 1970s, I was struck by the diminishing respect for the accumulated wisdom and stature of “senior citizens” in our advanced western society.