Lasers beaming across the countryside in complete disregard of the wishes of the population and asserting its domination over them. Sounds more like the idea of a megalomaniac totalitarian ruler than a small-town city council.

At last a sensible suggestion! A trial will let everybody see what the thing looks like. Up to now people have had to guess and speculate.

There could be two reasons why the council have tried to push this laser thing through without consulting the public. One, that it will not be acceptable. Two, as it is an advertising scheme, they may have some of their own money invested.

At least Southampton Council are trying to improve the place. Let's face it, this is the first council for decades to actually try to improve this blot on Hampshire's landscape.

It's a pity they latched on to such a stupid idea. For a city with strong historic roots, which previous councils have done their utmost to hide or destroy, why on earth choose such a cheap gimmick?

Southampton = maritime. The Romans landed there and 2000 years later, it's still a busy port. So do something to do with ships. It'll soon be 100 years since Titanic sailed; the QE2 could soon be retired; Southampton still claims that the Mayflower departed from there.

You enter or leave New York past the Statue of Liberty. Portsmouth has its Spinnaker Tower. What Southampton needs is some substantial monument or building on the pointy bit between the rivers Itchen and Test, right at the entrance to the docks. Not something that looks like it came from Maplin.

You might look at Greenwich council’s website and see what they have to say about their own regeneration.

“By the late 20th century Greenwich was suffering from a severe economic recession - male unemployment was at 60%, around 144,000 manufacturing jobs disappeared, 80% of Council housing stock was in need of repair and 1,100 acres of land in the borough was contaminated. There was a fear of crime and violence and Greenwich had the worst health inequality in London.”

This was *with* the benefits of many years of their own ‘WOW factor laser.

Southampton doesn’t need to trial a laser – it has already been done. We know what they look like, and we know how effective they are at boosting the economy. Not a lot, by this evidence.