HAVING now given this new development proposal some thought and having visited the P J Livesey Group website I have some comments.

Standish, Stonehouse and the local environs require houses that are affordable either to rent or buy.

What we do not need is a Poundbury style development of high cost executive housing, plenty of these developments are already springing up in the district.

Horse Marling Farm and the new development in the Stanleys come readily to mind.

There is a great need for properties to rent at social rents with long term leases.

We also need low cost starter homes and houses for older owners to downsize to.

Families and individuals need stability.

They can then either save up the money needed to buy in the future or indeed stay put in a home for life.

I cannot find any details on the Livesey Group website about the proposals for Standish.

I understand from other sources that the development has no provision for affordable housing.

I am open to correction and will be happy to apologise should someone from Livesey read this and reply.

I would hope that SDC will also make it very clear to the proposers that a development with no affordable homes would be a red line when planning is sought.

If SDC agrees plans that do not include a percentage of affordable homes then an extremely dangerous precedent will be set.

The development is in the parish of Standish and therefore we need to give support to the parish council and residents of Standish.

I note that in the PR puff produced by Livesey no mention is made of the fact that Standish was the birth place of Beatrice Webb.

Beatrice and her husband Sydney were instrumental in the creation of the welfare state and the NHS.

Perhaps Livesey could be encouraged to create a development that reflects Beatrice’s thinking, is planned with local residents in mind and acknowledges that we live in a society not an economy.

Short term profit taking damages long term stability and people’s lives.

David Joyce

Stonehouse