I WOULD like to congratulate Lord Bathurst for his preparedness to confront the issue of the massive housing development that he is promoting as reported in the Standard of September 18. His responses thus enable one to question various assumptions he makes. The very first of these in the opening paragraphs of your report highlights his blinkered views. He seems to think that as 200 families have lived happily in Chesterton for 30 years then it will be no big difference if this is scaled up to 2,500 families. This is a Gilbertian leap in logic that many might find somewhat difficult to follow.

Apparently, Lord Bathurst has a “firm conviction” that “if Cirencester is to flourish” it needs to expand with “both houses and employment”. If he believes this then surely every town in the UK would use this solution to overcome their economic difficulties. I have read nowhere of a similar argument being applied; in fact, many towns including others in the Cotswolds are opposed to large new housing developments. As for the argument about employment, it is not obvious how just having more people will bring extra jobs. There doesn’t seem to be a huge local demand for workers for well-paid jobs in the area. For instance, I haven’t noticed an increase in the number of Jobstoday pages of the Standard over the past few years.

A final point to take issue with concerns his “holistic approach” to the future of the RAU and the schools. He believes the increased population will assist the future expansion of these institutions when, of course, it both predicates and will require such an expansion. In addition, any “holistic approach” must also consider the aspects many others have raised such as increased traffic congestion and the added demands on the local NHS resources.

Given the overwhelming opposition to this “Plan”, if consultation on this issue means anything it should mean a rethink at all levels of local government, and ultimately by the Minister of State for Housing and Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

TIM CHARSLEY

Cirencester