Brian Parker, of Victoria Road, Dartmouth, writes:

I was unable to attend the second exhibition of Millwood Homes' proposals for developing the area labelled Dartmouth West, D1 in the development plan document.  

Fortunately, your report (Land Shortfall, 25 Nov) allows me to catch up.  Unfortunately, this raises serious problems with Millwood Homes' reported statements.  There are two.

Firstly, they say that 12 acres of the land belong to David White, who we know is unwilling to sell, and that a further 12 acres is so steep it is too difficult to build on, together amounting to almost a third of the development land.  They then say that, on the remaining just over two thirds, they would only be able to build around half the 400 homes and less than half the employment units.  

Now, you do not need a C grade in GCSE maths to see that these fractions do not match, by a long way.

For my second point, I question the developer's 12 acres (outside Milton Farm land) they consider to be too steep to build on.  

With the aid of the contouring on the 1:25000 OS map, I have searched the D1 area and can find no part remotely approaching the steepness of much of the existing Archway estate, successfully built in recent years. I am not aware of any geological differences between the two sites that would account for this disparity.

I get the impression, and I stress it is an impression, that Millwood Homes are distorting or being economical with the facts to strengthen their negotiating position with respect to land west of Venn Lane, outside the development plan.  

I suggest they come clean in their next exhibition in January, otherwise my early support for their proposals, which is now on hold, could well consolidate into opposition.