I would like to express my disgust at the comments of parish councillors and town councillor Jim Thorpe, who have quoted utter dribble in the article regarding the proposed housing development behind the Fiddington Clay area in Market Lavington.

Being a resident of The Paddock whose home backs on to the proposed re-development area, I find it extremely annoying that yet again in this already over crowded village a developer has found yet another piece of land, outside the village envelope and the size of a postage stamp, to build an estate on.

Yet again councillors, who are supposed to represent the public, have not taken any notice of the people who have put them on their pedestals in the first place.

Yes, there maybe a touch of NIMBY syndrome, but also concerns for our children who at this present time are in a safe environment in which to play.

I am also concerned about the already overstretched services within the village for its residents especially regarding public transport, road safety and employment.

I would challenge Mr Thorpe to explain his comment on my latter concerns.

We have a few very small businesses in the village, all employing small workforces and not enough to sustain the employment requirements for the village population.

The majority of full time workers in the village do have to travel a significant distance to their place of work.

Mums, who have children at the local schools but would like to work, are having to make do with what part time employment with low incomes is available in the village or have to travel further afield to find decent work.

A recent council report on the subject of traffic, also suggests that the roundabout leading on to the Fiddington clay area is not a danger to local residents, either pedestrian or in vehicles, as there has only been one reported incident in six years.

But residents constantly battle on this roundabout with on-coming speeding motorists who give no consideration to traffic circulation or the children crossing in this area.

I am horrified at the flippancy of councillors on this issue, does it mean we have to wait until a fatality occurs before they eat their words?

Lastly I would like to say that although we have laws and acts that are supposed to protect the countryside, its villages and its residents, they are not worth the paper they are written on when a partnership of greedy developers, the local councils parish and town and landowners get together, to what appears to be their common goal, which is to ruin our fair, green and pleasant land.

Allison Capon

The Paddock,

Market Lavington