FELIXSTOWE’S new shared-space pedestrian-friendly town centre was just starting to shape up to actually look quite nice – but now it’s been ruined.

From out of nowhere, some hideous huge metal boxes have been dumped randomly along Hamilton Road between Boots and Bank Corner.

Who on earth though those ugly great blue planters would look good?

They are the most awful, obnoxious, way-too-large, tacky tin bins you could imagine, and are totally out of place.

Coupled with the new rubbish bins, they are making the street look cluttered and the design clumsy, especially as they straddle the new lines showing the curve cars should take.

Sadly, they look like something bought in haste and not used, were then found belatedly in some store room at Ufford, and someone had the great idea of sending them to Felixstowe.

We can only hope that when they are filled with colourful flowers (preferably which will drape themselves over the sides and hide the monstrosities) they will not disfigure the street so much.

What the council really needs to ensure is that the grey seating areas are filled – and I mean filled – with benches and bike racks and boxes of blooms.

That is going to be the only way to stop people parking on them and ensure people park on the black areas. Last week I saw a blue badge holder park on the grey area between the new trees outside Peacocks, sprint to the bank machine and then back to their car.

A friend of mine reckons at night you will have drive-in banking – park right alongside some of the machines and lean out of your window to punch in the numbers and get your cash!

The pedestrian area will have to be properly policed to make sure drivers keep to 20mph or less, only park in the black bays, and be patient and don’t hassle the people on foot.