I WAS disappointed to see the negative and somewhat misleading headline for the report on your website about the public exhibitions for the New Waterside Centre planned for Lakeside Country Park (£2.5m water sports centre scheme is unveiled... to just five people – Daily Echo, September 10).

In fact 43 people attended the four exhibitions, which as reported in your newspaper on September 6 were held in the morning and late afternoon and at a weekend to give residents and visitors the chance to tell us what they thought.

There were no negative comments, and many residents think that the centre will provide a much-needed community facility as well as improved facilities for lake users.

The council tried very hard to tell local residents and visitors about the exhibitions and plans for the site.

Leaflets promoting the exhibitions were delivered to over 400 houses adjacent to Lakeside and posters were displayed in and around the park; they featured in the council’s E-News which has 3,600 subscribers, and on Twitter to our 3,800 followers; and the dedicated webpage for the project has been visited by 153 people since going live at the end of July.

In addition between 100 and 150 people visited the council’s stall publicising the project at the Solent Garden Fayre held on the adjacent playing fields in June.

Lake users have been actively involved in the centre design since the project began in April 2012, and the project has appeared in several editions of the Borough News which is sent to every house in the borough.

Approval for the scheme and funding was obtained at the Eastleigh local area committee in March 2014 where details were presented to the committee and reported in your paper.

The council will continue to keep lake users, residents and the wider community informed about this exciting project as it moves forward, providing up to date information on progress and the opportunity for people to let us know what they think.

RICHARD MOULD-RYAN, Head of Countryside and Trees, Eastleigh Borough Council.