Going bananas (From Malvern Gazette)

Going bananas

12:00pm Tuesday 5th March 2013 in Letters

 STEVE Smart (letters February 22) is not alone in finding local opposition to new house-building depressing.

All communities have to change over time, with new homes needed for families who provide local businesses with their custom and encourage the local economy, and whose children keep local schools thriving.

Ashe says, there is a crisis in housing in this country and all of us in Malvern live in houses on sites which were once greenfields. To oppose even modest planned development ignores that fact.

We seem to be moving from nimbyism (not in my back yard...) to bananas (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone).

Onnew housing sites there needs to be imaginative architecture, rather than rows of identical houses, adequate open green spaces left for children to play, wide enough pavements for trees to be planted and flourish which will help screen the houses from the hills, and efficient streetl ighting to avoid light pollution.

Planning and ensuring these things is the true role o flocal councils and planning officers, not just to block development in the vain hope of keeping things just the way they are.

PAM STANIER

Malvern Wells