SIR: As a further addition to the "developers wish list" debate, I wish to add the emotional response.

Having been a lifelong member of Greenpeace I could address the issues of over extraction of water, impact on the natural environment, pollution issues, (air, land and water), and so on.

However, this story is about me. My husband and I moved out of Southsea 40 years ago to live in a “semi-rural” environment in order to bring up our young son in a way which replicated my Kentish village upbringing.

When we came to Swanmore, which was a large village, there were two schools, two places of worship, four public houses, a hairdressers, four shops selling foodstuffs, a delicatessen, a separate post office, a butcher’s, a hardware shop, a knitting wool and toy shop, a petrol station, a car repair shop and on the fringe of the village, a greengrocers. The baker from Bishop's Waltham called weekly and the Library Van came once a month, parking in either the New Inn or the Brickmakers car park. There was also a flourishing privately run food co-operative.

All of these were run by local residents.

Over the years, most of these have gone; the community still has the first four in the list, although the public houses are now two, with one under refurbishment. The village shop is still here, after a turbulent recent history, although it is part of a larger conglomerate run from Crewe.

The size of the village has increased with new building, and under the developers’ wish list is proposed to grow even more.

I am not so naive as to believe that we can turn the clock back, but the community which existed is fast diminishing, and sadly it seems that all that is in the mind of developers is to concrete over the land without ever giving back anything which would make a community a vital and vibrant place.

I understand the need for more housing; however, why does it have to be in this village? The continued reduction of facilities, with no added improvements, are making what was a close knit community into a dormitory.

For those of you old enough to remember, I will quote Joni Mitchell, “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”.

Sue Halloway,

Lower Chase Road,

Swanmore