I WORK for the Trustees of the Madresfield Estate and attended the public meeting at Dyson Perrins School on March 28 to listen to the discussion concerning the future of the land adjacent to Lower Howsell Road.

At that meeting I heard a number of people, who are residents of Vandra Close, Summerfield Road and Lower Howsell Road, expressing their views as to why they do not want any housing on the 13 acre site at any cost.

What I did not hear was any realism. This site is bounded on three sides by houses and, with a growing demand for houses in the area, is surely bound to be developed one day.

I expected to hear someone to stand up for the scheme, which was put forward on behalf of Bovis, recognising that here was an opportunity for a very good deal to be struck on behalf of local residents.

Previous discussions concerning this site were of development of the whole site with houses. Yet here were Bovis offering to develop less than half the land and, in return, to create a community centre, a play area, a kick-about area, as well as put money down for future maintenance of the Public Open Space and traffic improvements in the area.

Yet no one seemed to recognise the golden opportunity. Where were the residents of the "Royal Estates" who have frequently written to me and campaigned over the years for somewhere safe for their children to play? I thought that they would be there to speak up for the proposal. Surely it wasn't the football on television?

1984 was said to be the date of the first planning application, and so for nearly 20 years this matter has festered. We all know that the land is in the Local Plan as public open space but we were told at the meeting that the district council are not inclined to utilise their resources to purchase it as such.

So where does that leave us? With a piece of privately-owned wasteland "enjoyed" without permission, other than on the public footpaths, by a few people with dogs.

The Bovis plan offered the opportunity for everyone to get something out of this piece of ground - Bovis as the developers, the Madresfield Estate and, most importantly for the local residents, the local community. After the reception they received, the Bovis offer already may no longer be on the table, I don't know, but you can be sure that future development plans may not be so generous.

Therefore, I urge local residents who oppose this scheme to rethink the whole situation, but starting from the premise that one day this land will, inevitably, be developed - maybe not this year, next year or for another ten years - and that future schemes may not be nearly so attractive to local residents.

Rather than urging local councillors to continue to oppose this scheme, why not ask them to encourage it, but on the basis that in so doing, they get the best deal for the local community, both now and for the future?

PETER HUGHES, The Madresfield Estate, Madresfield, Malvern.