LETTER: Facilitating what developers want

As soon as Berkeley Homes has finished listening to our concerns and increased the number of houses they intend dumping on us from 538 to 643 to satisfy those concerns, another lot of profit hungry developers are instructing Curtin and Co, doubtless a PR consultancy, ‘to engage with the local community in the formation of a high quality development proposal’.

And lucky us, they’re going to save the ancient Hogs Wood, presumably from the threat posed by all those squirrels and birds that infest it. It can’t possibly be threatened by such lovely, cuddly people as Wates Development, who are only there to ‘achieve the best possible outcome’.

And we all know what means; massive bonus and remuneration for the CEO and Board Directors (remember Berkeley Homes’ CEO received £16m over the last few years; clearly not paid enough), large dividends for shareholders, big Fees for Curtin and Co... and overcrowded schools, surgeries, roads, shopping facilities for us.

Oh, and for years we’ll be able to enjoy a vista akin to that visited upon the A24 area, which looks more like a peaceful version of Passchendaele than anything else.

Well we’ve been living in Southwater since 1981 and we’ve had enough of landowners, developers and HDC, who will happily facilitate whatever the developers want, whilst trying to keep the lid of the growing impotent anger of their electorate with false consultation exercises.

So we’re off, sold our house and are moving to God’s own County.

Pity we won’t be around for hopeful slaughter of the Conservative and Lib-Dem councillors at the next district council elections; remember vote for anyone but them!

GARRY JENNINGS

Wealdon Close, Southwater