THE basic problem for all of us here is that Cambourne was built on an estate agent type myth. It is now Pretendsville . It pretended to people that there were going to be jobs in Cambourne for many people who live here. Considering the size of so many o

THE basic problem for all of us here is that Cambourne was built on an estate agent type myth. It is now 'Pretendsville'.

It pretended to people that there were going to be jobs in Cambourne for many people who live here. Considering the size of so many of the properties, it is obvious that no small town is going to have so many high-paying jobs, and most of these people are going to have to motor away to earn enough money to pay the mortgage. While that was bad enough at the beginning, in this economic slump it is a disaster.

Why do they stay? Because they cannot afford to move.

Yes, the air is clean and in most places it is quieter than larger towns, but I believe that Cambourne cannot move forward in any way until it stops pretending to be something that it is not.

Build on reality, whether you like it or not, and there is a fighting chance that those who survive the economic crisis of the next few years will have the basis of a good small town.

But all parties can start off by facing the fact that it is not and never has been a village. It is a small new town divided into three estates. Get them safe and sorted and move on and, we hope, up.

BETTY RICE

Shepard Close

Great Cambourne