Sounds good. I hate how you cannot find any remotely ordinary shops in the City at the moment - it's the heart of London yet it's dead at the weekends. This makes no sense. London's supposed to be the world's capital for goodness sake.

James, City, UK

I worked in the City about 25 years ago and unless you wanted to buy a stripey shirt or a silk tie there was nowhere to shop at lunchtimes, not as a leisure activity, but for basics. Leadenhall was all game and smoked salmon.

In the evenings it was difficult to have a convivial gathering after work because everything closed early.

In other words there was and still is a lack of balance. To put some shops into Cheapside will invigorate the area for the multitude working in the City and for visitors. About time.

Marek, London,

These proposals horrify me. I live on the City border (literally) and the City is one of of the few civilised areas left in London. The hordes these shops hope to attract will bring all their attendant misery: litter, vandalism, graffiti and so forth.

So far The City has remained yob free and a lovely, safe place to live. Not for much longer, it seems.

Paulus, London , UK

Madness. The City should be proud of the fact it is THE peaceful, quiet and tranqil area of London at the weekends. It is always a pleasure to walk and explore the city and not have hoardes of tourists around. I loved exploring this part of London when I was a student and continue to explore when visiting London.

Geoffrey McNab, Belfast,

“Shopping is evolving. It's becoming much more a leisure activity."

It has been since the first shopping mall opened with fifteen starbucks strapped on to each high street shoe outlet. Especially when their trading is making fuel increasingly more expense. Where has this caveman been for the past few decades? No wonder the rest of the country knows 'The City Clots' are way out of touch with the rest of the western world.

P.S. - If you hadn't been told yet, the millenium bug didn't turn out to be that big a problem. Pay your cleaner some more taxable income and she'll tell you about it.

Alistair Kipling, Birmingham,

I agree with Frederick. Can picture it now, another soulless, identikit, brushed steel and glass homage to retail shopping, which now almost completely defines our cultural life.

The city is a pleasure to walk around on the weekends precisely because it is quiet and at rest. If it's shopping you want you need only hop on the tube and go four stops Westbound and you're in Oxford Circus.

People used to live in the city. A useful development here would be to build homes in the classical vernacular in and around the city.

Wake up Britain !

Bradley Hotson, City, England

How original ! Another retail / restaurant theme park. Does everywhere have to look like every other high street ? Maybe people do go to London to see the churches, monuments and musuems, not just to join all the other Zombies shuffling down Oxford street.

No wonder this country is becoming blander and homogeneous when all the developers can do is pander to the retail giants.

David, London, Uk

The closure of the city at the weekends (and after 7pm on weekdays) is one of the most frustrating elements of London. How did it get that the oldest part of London, one where generation after generation lived and worked and died, has become a barren desert? Then again, it is perhaps a chicken and egg situation. The last time I was in the city at the weekend it was actually quite busy - not packed sure, but a fair number of people walking about. But not a single restaurant, shop, or bar was open to cater for them or encourage them to return. The only place open was McDonalds, which was packed out.

While I don't necessarily agree with the corporation (and of course it is the rule of the corporation that has allowed this to come about) I certainly back them on this.

David W, London, UK

The people who live in the city were attracted by the quiet in the evenings and weekends. They are accustomned to go elsewhere to do leisure shopping. They like it that way or they would live somewhere else.
Would tourists coming into the City expect ordinary or top level prices ? If prices are ordinary high street level why not shop at ordinary high streets ? Are people happy to lug shopping bags home on public transport ? Or are huge new car parks on the plans ?
Have the planners been to see Canterbury lately ? The developments there seem very sad. To get to the Cathedral there are lots of shops to walk through first. By the time you get to the Cathedral you are already fairly tired . Do we want that for the City ? Mr Bennett seems to think the City can control the quality of the development. Hands up all those who believe him? I thought not.

Judy, Leighton Buzzard, Beds

There was one good bookshop in the City , albeit not near Cheapside ; I don't recall the name but it was on the north side of Great Tower Street . No trendy pine bookshelves or high ceilings , but a real pleasure to browse - it was strong on local history , amongst other topics .

Dr. Andrew Ruddle, Weybridge, Surrey

A golf course in the city?!
What an excellent idea to greenify the area - put the Aldgate one way system underground and start with a pitch an put on top...

Graeme, London, UK

I live in central London out of choice.
I won't want to go to White City because it's vile.
I don't wear creole earings and tracksuits, so Bluewater is really not suitable for me either.
I would be able to walk to this proposed retail area in the City.
Perfect.

BenG, London, England

Having lived and worked in the area in retail the weekends were great . We worked Monday to Friday no weekend work no split days off brilliant.
I now think that the idea of opening the area up for shopping is a good one. There were times when on the weekend it was like a ghost town with the only thing doing any business was St Pauls.
It is a great area and if handled properly could become as important to London's Retail Trade as Oxford Street.
The shopping centers are big and bland you could be any where, Streetscape in general, and the Streetscape of the Square Mile in particular, gives you as sense of place and history.

Stuart , Christchurch, NZ

Why would anyone want to travel to London to shop to then have to return on the filth-can and stand on a train, if they are running on time or at all on a Sunday, to get home with all their bags? The hostile-to-car city doesn't want you driving or parking there, so it's more hassle than it's worth for anyone outside of town. So it's down to tourists and locals.

David Smith, Stourbridge, UK

All we need. Another shopping mall or a golf course. God help us and protect us from these people.

Frederick, London, UK