REGARDING the Thongsley and Whaddons proposed redevelopment. Recently I was invited along with others to attend (as an observer) a residents meeting to discuss the redevelopment of the 25 bungalows and 20 garages at the Whaddons and Thongsley – this

REGARDING the Thongsley and Whaddons proposed redevelopment.

Recently I was invited along with others to attend (as an observer) a residents meeting to discuss the redevelopment of the 25 bungalows and 20 garages at the Whaddons and Thongsley - this was the Luminus heading. This, we were informed, was to be the next stage in the consultation process and we were all asked if we had seen the proposed plan outline in the brochure.

There were three options shown: the first, if you counted the outline, equalling 75 properties and 84 parking bays, the second equalling 88 properties and 56 parking bays, and the third equalling 104 properties and 96 parking bays.

Nigel Finney, the executive director (Operations) for Luminus, then proposed to tell us not to take any account of the numbers as this was just an architect's impression of the planned development and bore no relevance to the final plan. Now this beggars disbelief. Surely an architect can only portray the outlines of a considered and proposed outline plan.

He also went on to say that building these homes would attract new money into the area.

There was no consideration of the loss of parking for the 20+ homes along the frontage of the Whaddons and Thongsley parking area that the building work will cause, forcing them to park in Buttsgrove Way, a road that is already quite narrow and suffers from its surface breaking up.

Then there was the idea of placing an extra exit road on the blind bend which was answered by Mr Finney that "blind bends tend to slow down the vehicles going around them".

Finally there is also the case of the open green area loss. When you take the Mayfield Road development, the College Field area, Sapley Square green area, Oxmoor will find itself being overbuilt and quickly devoid of most of its green play areas.

The answer that "new, better" green areas would be formed is ludicrous to put it mildly.

The estate was originally formed to get away from the overcrowding of the large cities, but Luminus wants to reverse that trend.

What was the meeting about? If it was just to show the existing bungalow tenants what a new home might look like, then OK. All the meeting did was make people more concerned and suspicious as to what Luminus was about and putting the people first and listening to people it certainly was not.

Alan Mackender-Lawrence

Kent Road

Huntingdon