Housing development in Caterham

Peter Brent made several excellent points about the oddities of developments in Caterham versus Oxted. It does seem that Caterham gets the developments but seemingly no apportionate improvement in infrastructure - so perhaps also promoting the backlash on developments in Caterham. However it is a fact that property developments in Caterham are quickly occupied, implying a property shortage. Not surprising due to Caterham's excellent transport links and location. Meanwhile rents continue to spiral for the young and residential care for the elderly is heavily oversubscribed, overpriced and often inadequate. So perhaps we need more, not less development, but of the right kind?

Development enabled by simply releasing more green belt as TDC proposes will take too long and is an irreversible last resort. I don't see why it is wrong for new developments to be focused on brown sites or replacing ageing housing stock - around existing services - but for each site to also contain a minimum proportion (33% perhaps) of affordable or residential housing, maintained in partnership with housing associations and the council. All council tax collected from that scheme should be directly credited to maintaining Caterham's infrastructure. Added to no change in existing budget allocations this will ensure that people in Caterham feel they are directly getting the benefit from housing regeneration, while we embrace the realities of housing shortage and elderly care. Idealistic maybe? Realistic why not?

Mark Lewis, Caterham.

...more feedback on the July edition ...

With reference to two items in the July issue, I would like to add my comments. Firstly, regarding the overdevelopment of Caterham Hill or 'North Tandridge', I could not agree more with Mr Peter Brent although I am not of his political persuasion. I sometimes feel that other council planning departments such as Reigate and Banstead and their residents are more militant and stand up to the developers, often winning the day.

I was born in Caterham in 1927 and I do not like what has happened here since about 1960. Prior to this Caterham was a pleasant small town where everyone spoke to each other, even to strangers and visitors. In 1960 flying at Kenley airfield was at an end and our third cinema, 'The Florida' was closed and redeveloped. Since then deterioration has been the password. How some of the developers' plans are passed is beyond me. The results are hideous and often do not merge compatibly with the existing architecture.

Secondly, with regard to the 'Whyteleafe Grand Summer Fete' - the fete was billed as 'the village's first'. Surely there must still be people in Whyteleafe who remember such events being staged before WW2 and in the post-war years? I am 84 years old and I remember them!

Kenneth Sayers, Caterham.