THE details of the proposed housing development at Quakers Walk must make most people even more aware that some of their worst fears for the future of the town will be realised.

One point needs to be made clear; the massive house building in Devizes has not been a Government ruling. Kennet District Council, in common with other councils, was given a housing allocation.

It was Kennet who made the decision to build almost twice as many houses in Devizes as the number in Marlborough, Pewsey, Ludgershall and Tidworth combined. This equation omits the possibility of building houses in the 50 or more moderate sized villages in Kennet.

It is not surprising that many people at the display were strongly against any development at Quakers Walk and many felt that Devizes had quite enough houses being built. Unfortunately their hopes will not be met. The programme for the next few years reads Quakers Walk 230 houses (150 plus 80) North Gate/Wharf/ Devizes Hospital group (about 150 houses), Roundway Hill (30 houses), Le Marchant Barracks (50 houses), Naughton Avenue (100 houses).

Four of these sites will lead onto the London Road, which has long traffic queues most mornings and evenings. Neither the county or district councils has felt it necessary to conduct a traffic census in recent years. One of county's pronouncements in 2002 reads "The London Road junction at Coate Bridge and Brickley Lane these are the two junctions that are identified as having future demand exceeding capacity for the A361 (London Road) traffic in peak periods".

If London Road remains gridlocked in the future we shall know where to apportion blame. We shall also know that the quality of life will fall and that Devizes will have been despoiled by the very councils who supposedly are there to watch over its interests.

H CLAYTON

Devizes