MADAM - Housing proposals in the Stroud area.

I have read the letters in the Stroud News & Journal concerning proposed housing with increasing dismay and bafflement.

Stroud District Council seems to have its hands tied by government legislation, despite the strong feelings of local people.

Our situation is the stuff of comedy, albeit a pretty sick comedy and barely credible.

Every day I pass Stanley Mill.

Years ago Stanley Mill was given planning permission for 150 homes, but there is no way of encouraging the builder to make a start.

There are other such sites.

Every day I pass a house which has been empty for over 50 years.

Legislation exists to coerce owners to arrange occupation of such empty homes, but it is rarely used, although an MP listed over 4,000 such empty homes.

Every day I hear local people lamenting the continued loss of our greenfield sites, while developers refuse to build where they have permission already granted.

We are enjoying the benefits of ‘localism’ and of ‘sustainable’ development.

There is no such thing as ‘land banking’.

We know these things because our politicians have told us so.

So can anyone make any sense of this?

J Graham

King’s Stanley