SIR,

The Monmouthshire Local Development Plan (LDP) seems to me to be not much more than an exercise in 'pretence-democracy'.

As things stand, we are inevitably going to have foisted upon us here in Monmouth hundreds more houses that none of the present residents would welcome.

I have yet to meet anyone at all in Monmouth who agrees with the proposals to allow 400 new homes to be built.

As if it wasn't bad enough that these were to be built in Wonastow flood plain, near the already existing and recently-built Rockfield estate, there has now been a proposal to build hundreds of houses on Vauxhall fields.

This is an outrageous idea, as every resident of Monmouth would tell you, and the developers who suggested it should be told so in no uncertain terms.

Many people have already set out extremely good arguments against the proposals, but the county council keeps on issuing more forms for consultation purposes.

Are they not able to understand that we do not want more homes here? What is wrong with the county council? Why should we pay for them to allow things to happen that we simply do not want?

Don't blame the Welsh Assembly, though, for it is the county council that is allocating the housing for Monmouthshire.

Actually, I am not averse to house-building, as such. People have to have somewhere to live, of course.

However, there is no requirement in Monmouth for excessive amounts of new housing.

When I lived in Regensburg in Germany, the town expanded rapidly. Why? Because there was a need for more accommodation for the extra people coming to populate the new university, the brand-new teaching hospital, the BMW car works and the Toshiba electronics factory.

What have we got in Monmouth that is vaguely equivalent to that? Nothing. And no prospect of any high tech industry, either.

Some existing factory units are even derelict. So why build literally hundreds of new homes?

It is, presumably, influential building developers who think they can make a lot of money out of exploiting the current benefits of oupleasant market town. Why should we stand for this?

The LDP should allocate land for housing development only where there are new employment opportunities – certainly not here in Monmouth.

Dr AJ Owen

(Monmouth)