I NORMALLY enjoy Fly in the Ointment but I couldn’t have disagreed more with the latest column (Warrington Guardian, August 22).

Arguing that £500,000 on the Golden Gates was not money well spent?

Really? That is a drop in the ocean for council finances – even in these times of austerity.

He argues if they are really historic.

I was always told every day is history. But regardless of that does he not know the story?

They were bought for Warrington 150 years ago after the Queen turned them down because of the association with the Cromwell statue made by the same ironmongers.

They are a symbol of the town. If that is not history, I am not sure what is.

I have long agreed with him (I assume from the writing the Fly author is a he) about some of the architecture and loss of heritage in the town.

He regularly complains about the market car park and last week compared the vision of new flats on Winwick Street to Soviet-style East German blocks.

Yet he doesn’t want unique structures like the gates protecting.

Or at least not for £500,000.

It is a specialist job.

Who else could do it? You can’t take them to the dry cleaners or get some Ronseal on it.

I went to the homecoming parade and saw them gleaming in the sun and it made me proud.

I hope he was there too. For on such a day of unmitigated joy and pride in our town, I thought that was worth every penny of £500,000.

Or would he rather we plonk another apartment block on there?

JOY FLEMING Birchwood