MADAM - It was reported in the national press that Princess Anne had made serious suggestions at the housing conference asking planners if it was really necessary to create large scale developments on otherwise untouched countryside and whether villages should only be enlarged with say smaller developments of 20 or so houses which could easily be accommodated into village life without destroying communities.

Is she possibly aware of the problems that exist in this area?

I am sure all the villages within the Stroud area would not object to the building of several small sites which could easily be incorporated into village life without too much disruption, but to destroy our rural area with unsustainable large developments will devastate our area for our children’s children and turn us into an area such as happened in Quedgeley.

Is that what we want?

The developers do not care – why would they, they are only interested in lining their pockets, Eric Pickles and his second in command Nick Boles do not care – why would they, they do not have to live with the consequences, although I am led to believe that Neil Carmichael has spoken up in the House of Commons on this very subject.

Stroud and the surrounding countryside is in a beautiful part of our country which we who live here love.

But because our council did not have adequate time to finalise a local plan our area is open to abuse by these planners who are exploiting us.

Please, in the name of democracy, can we not encourage all our councillors to hold firm and reject these large scale developments once and for all.

G Graddock

Leonard Stanley