SEX, politics and religion are not meant to be discussed over lunch in polite society - so we did.

"She divorced him and is going out with her - the publicity given to supermarket Christmas adverts is absurd and who who has faith in politicians any more?"

But we did agree about housing developments in Fairford.

It wasn't a NIMBY notion. It was a real concern about the lack of information about the impact of the development on the town.

We have a three-tier local government system - the GCC, CDC and the FTC. Issues are devolved and agreement reached through various committees.

Why then with all that experience haven't our townsfolk been reassured that the needed increase in housing will not impact badly on their lives – schools, roads, doctors and so on?

A leaflet through my door last week assured me that the new development would "provide affordable housing and further community benefits for Fairford - through a Unilateral Undertaking which will be administrated(sic) by the FTC."

Yawn - heard all that before. Doesn't always happen. What does happen is: more cars on the road, as they leave Fairford to shop in Cirencester, more demands on the surgery - though our schools need more pupils I'm told.

Put simply - our three representative bodies should be doing what we elected them to do - explaining things. Not simply interpreting the 'rules'.

Keith Gallon White Hart Court Fairford