I’M SORRY H Saunders feels so upset by the successful purchase of part of Hammonds Farm by the Biodynamic Land Trust.

Like many local people I supported the proposed purchase because it offers the opportunity to maintain an area of land on the edge of Stroud as agricultural land.

I accept my £500 contribution was paltry but there is a long record of mutual organisations turning small deposits from many people into significant capital sums as happened in this case.

My personal view is that (even with my well-known scepticism about Steinerism) it offered a real opportunity to ensure that this piece of land did not fall into the hands of speculative builders who would have spent a very long time seeking to change planning policy so that the site could be developed.

Some years ago, at my encouragement, the town council entered discussions with the then owner of Wickridge Farm to secure the fields above the playing field for the community.

Sadly, the cost of this was not realistic for a public body to entertain.

Another site I would dearly like to see coming into community ownership to maintain it as farming land with public access would be the land at Grange Fields, which the current owner has progressively developed since he originally purchased the land in 1984.

In the long term I believe that arrangements similar to that achieved at Hammonds Farm provide the most effective way of maintaining land around the town permanently as well managed green spaces.

Clearly there are lots of options for purchase vehicle organisations for any future sites that become available but from a purely business model the Biodynamic Land Trust does appear to be good model as it is sharing risks on a number of schemes across the country.

It is also a locally based mutual organisation in which members can influence decision making.

It is also organised by people who have a track record of getting things done.

Chas Townley

Labour district councillor for Uplands