Mrs L Fraser of Kingsbridge, writes:

I read with interest in the paper recently the comments made by Cllr Rufus Gilbert regarding the decision for rejection of the development of up to 82 homes on land off Westville Hill.

It must be very difficult for him to represent the electors' wishes on this very issue and yet follow the party line, to the 'Government dictate.'

He is also in the invidious position of being one of the people who approached the landowner, Mr Manisty, for the development of land for K1 and K5. His personal opinion seems to be – I'd rather nothing was built at all, but as we must, let's provide houses on all the field thus nearly doubling the developed area from the original DPD. When we say we need affordable homes, we must beg to question affordable for whom? In the paper I noticed two new developments of new builds advertised with starting prices from £265,000 to £404,950. Yes the unaffordable to pay for the affordable, but who would benefit from these prices? I doubt the local community.

Perhaps Cllrs Wright, Brazil, Wingate, Coulson, Hicks, Pennington and Squire, with their exemplary example, might encourage others to find their way again and really represent the community they were elected to represent.