SOME projects due to be approved as part of a town’s £165,000 face lift have been questioned by the traders they are designed to help.

After speaking to residents, Waltham Abbey Town Council came up with a list of projects to help economic development in the town, using the money given by Lidl when it built its new store in Cartersfield.

The projects include a bandstand in the Market Square, costing £40,000, a campsite near the Town Mead for £10,000, refurbishing toilet buildings at a cost of £30,000 and a £15,000 statue on one of the town’s roundabouts.

Businesses in the town have long been pushing for improvements to the town centre, but some are not convinced all the projects are a good use of the money.

Barry Kent, 52, who owns Abbey Fruits in Sun Street, said: “I don’t think anyone’s going to come and look at a bandstand and who’s going to play?

“I think it’s just superficial stuff they’re putting up. It just doesn’t seem to be anything that’s helpful to the town."

He added that the £10,000 set to be spent on new signs for the Brooker Road Industrial Estate and Lee Valley White Water Centre was a waste of money.

Nicola Jarmaine, 53, of Abbey Funeral Directors said the bandstand was a good idea, as long as it was made vandal-proof.

“Anything that enhances the market square, as long as it’s as vandal-free as possible, has got to be an advantage,” she added.

She said signs for the White Water Centre, which will host canoeing at the 2012 Olympic Games, would help draw people’s attention to the venue.

“I was negative about it until I went and I think the fact that people can go and have a look is tremendous, so I think that needs to be pushed.”

However, she was less convinced by the campsite that the council says will provide a cheap alternative to hotels for people visiting the centre, keeping them in the Waltham Abbey area.

“I live just near there and so often, it’s absolutely swamped and access is pretty awful.”

The district council is expected to rubber-stamp the projects at its meeting on Monday, April 18.