New homes folly fails to provide

The beguiling folly we now have of 1,200 houses north of Toddington will evidently do very little towards that demand.

According to Arun, more than 800 affordable houses are required, with perhaps 250 being provided.

It barely needs repeating that a permanent stock is essential, of rentable and part ownership housing (Gazette story, March 10).

If this scheme, and another in the offing at Courtwick, go ahead, where then will sites for affordable housing be found?

In yet another great block of fields around Lyminster, Ford, or Poling, presumably. Or probably not.

If we had a responsible planning system in this country neither scheme, at Courtwick or Toddington, would be approved.

Land would be set aside for what the community needs, and something similar to council housing would be provided before any private enterprise scheme was even contemplated.

Anyone who values towns, villages, and countryside, must wonder what fantasy the Big Society is. But of course this is old news, repeated constantly over the past 50 years.

R. W. Standing

Sea Road

East Preston