WE would like to further respond to the question of the basin of Godmanchester Causeway should be reduced in area to accommodate other features, as shown in the photograph supplied by Russell Jones (Letters, October 8), which was taken from an original of

WE would like to further respond to the question of the basin of Godmanchester Causeway should be reduced in area to accommodate other features, as shown in the photograph supplied by Russell Jones (Letters, October 8), which was taken from an original of an artist's impression by the late Harry Lincoln and published in The Hunts Post on January 24, 1974.

There are many people in the community who will have knowledge of the campaign and the issues discussed in your letters page in 1974, and we feel that the issues are very much the same today, namely to change or not to change.

Water, or parking and grass, the residents of Godmanchester must have their say, and make their decisions. The original proposal by the Department of the Environment was to put the flood defences along the existing structure adjacent to the front path as it is now, so who exactly is it that wishes this unique area to be altered into something that is very commonplace?

With talk of developing The Causeway, it should not be overlooked that during the angling closed season many species of fish spawn and congregate in shoals on shallow areas of water - the Causeway is the only large area of shallow water.

We must preserve the environment for fish as best we can: there is enough strain on their life cycles from the thoughtlessness of man without deliberately increasing the burden.

Then we have the wild birds that use the Causeway as a shallow area of water for feeding. Perhaps we could suggest that it is short-sighted to convert the Causeway into parking, gardens, boats etc and thus lose the essential points of conservation and respect of nature and the wildlife of the river. There is already so much loss of habitat occurring due to population growth that surely we can allow this small but special amenity to remain.

Finally, when there are complaints that The Causeway does not measure up compared to other river frontages, that would seem to be a matter of requiring a bit more care and maintenance without being obtrusive. We suggest this would be less costly than other proposals, so we are not suggesting a do-nothing approach, but with more attention and regard for we already have.

BARBARA BRETT

Secretary

Huntingdon & Godmanchester Civic Society