PARISH councillors for Newland, Guarlford and Madresfield have received notification that the South Worcestershire Development Plan has begun its remorseless progress despite their unanimous opposition.

Interested parties – developers, planners and local politicians – can no doubt claim that all administrative procedures have been followed scrupulously, and yet local people never felt they were adequately consulted.

It will be small consolation in the future to tell our appalled grandchildren that we did everything we could to stop this developer-led plan.

However, there remains some glaring unfinished business: why has the Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty (AONB) had nothing to say on the matter?

Do they believe it is outside their terms of reference, their ‘post code’?

If so, it is a cop-out.

Surely they are obliged to explain their position, to tell us how such a development would impinge, if only visually, on the AONB (you look down from the hills as well as up to them from below).

Contiguous areas must be a consideration – that is unless they have a bunker mentality or, at worst are just a bunch of jobsworths.

AONB, defend yourselves, and speak.

CHARLES EDEN Madresfield