Madam,

I don’t know what your Carmarthen-based correspondent, Adrian Murphy, (Cambrian News, Letters, 22 November) is trying to achieve by such an aggressive and unpleasant letter about St Winefride’s Catholic Church in Queens Road, Aberystwyth. Doesn’t he realize how well loved this beautiful building is by Catholics and non-Catholics alike?

He says St Winefride’s is “an empty, rapidly decaying structure of no particular architectural merit” but where is his evidence for this? And how do his rather nasty remarks help the Aberystwyth Town Council which is doing its best to help matters by facilitating an independent survey of the building? His intention seems only to break hearts and demoralise gentle and caring people who want to do their utmost to preserve their church in Aberystwyth.

Important conservation bodies, including The Royal Commission for the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, The Victorian Society, Save Great Britain’s Heritage and the Aberystwyth Civic Society, say that St Winefride’s should be preserved. The town council is trying to help in an impartial way and the planning authority, Ceredigion County Council, is not in favour of demolition.

The vast majority of Aberystwyth Catholics, in my view, want their money to be spent on refurbishing St Winefride’s. They do not want their resources squandered by out-of-touch trustees on an unwanted and badly-judged scheme in Penparcau. Neither do they want the demolition of a beloved and historically important church building in Aberystwyth.

Yours etc

David C Subacchi

The Ithens

Wrexham.