SIR – Recently the document for the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) dropped through my letter box.

This document presents the proposed areas of development for south Worcestershire and will be presented to the county as the preferred options for development for the next 20 years, with a benchmark of 24.500 new houses.

This document, if accepted in its entirety, will ease the path for all individual planning applications.

Very little objections will be raised by planning authorities and in effect it will rubber stamp all applications within SWDP.

This collective/joint partnership by the three councils will allocate land and pave the way for each authority to push planning through in the face of individual pockets of resistance which will be swept aside, despite valiant efforts by groups such as Kempsey, Malvern and Bevere. The ‘roadshows’ will only present the proposed plans and not, as implied, be up for consultation.

In late 2007 an early roadshow consultation was held at Perdiswell when the original draft plans for the development of Gwillams Farm was presented as a future development.

During each 30-minute period a planning officer presented the facts to packed audiences of local residents concerning roads, traffic volume, speed limits, sewage disposal, designs and types of properties to be built.

It became very heated with the lack of information to hand. It appears that since that time the tactics have changed, in effect removing the risk of confrontation.

If the residents of Worcester allow the SWDP to pass unchallenged then the inevitable raft of applications will be approved.

B R W PORTMAN

Worcester