I had mixed feelings when I read Mr Davies' reply to my letter concerning the proposed housing development behind Allaston Road. He has misunderstood me. I don't agree with what he says and as he lives many miles away at Broadwell I don't think it is anything to do with him.

Unfortunately, largely due to the misguided immigration policy (or lack of it) of the last government, we do need more houses but it is still possible to be sensitive as to where we put them.  In this area there are many  brownfield sites which could be re-developed before permanently covering up agricultural land. 

 

There is the only partly completed estate off the by-pass where building seems to have stopped. It has been suggested that this is because the houses aren't selling for various reasons. There are others which should be finished first. We don't need numerous little estates scattered everywhere. Mr Davies seems to have the idea that as houses are needed it is OK to build them anywhere without thought of what it is doing to our little island. Once it is all covered with concrete we can do nothing about it.

The access to the Allaston site is totally inadequate via the suggested routes. Allaston Road with large numbers of parked cars is already an obstacle course and hundreds more cars would create a permanent traffic jam. Lack of jobs in the wider area would only force the occupants to join the already horrendous daily queues on the A48. I have heard it whispered that another possible outlet to this development could be via Queens Street and what madness is that?

Another thing which occurred to me after my last letter was that I seem to remember some years ago a large water main supplying much of Lydney runs right through the site and this could cause problems.

Finally, Mr. Davies has got the idea that I am guilty of 'nimbyism'. In fact the land around my own house is already built on so it doesn't apply although access to it does.

The only reason that this development has been thought up is to make a quick profit for the owners of the land and they just don't care about the wider effects or anyone else. It is to be hoped that if formal planning application is made our planners will put it right where it belongs in the bin – there is plenty of room in my wheelie.

– B. C. Baker, Lydney.