Following the approval of plans to build on part of the site of the battle of Bosworth, we asked: should we be allowed to build on sites of historic interest?

@AmHistoryCast You don’t even have to answer “never” to oppose this. This is about the site of one of the top five most pivotal moments in English history. Melissa Without historical places, events become dry facts in books. We need to touch, feel and smell history to understand and appreciate how we came to be where we are right now, and where we are going. @NathenAmin It’s wilful destruction of irreplaceable heritage for little discernible reason. There are always alternatives. @hisdoryan After the battle of Hastings, I would say the battle of Bosworth is tied with Trafalgar and Waterloo in terms of historical significance to the general British population. How can we build on something that was crucial in terms of defining us as a nation? @ ChrisFarrelly How far back do we mean? Should we knock down a 600-year- old church built on top of a battlefield? Do we knock down a Jacobean house because it may be built over a Roman villa? @HistoryLiv We have been doing so for centuries. We now have the means to preserve virtual visual records of such sites. If an exceptional case occurs, anything could be sacrificed. Try not to, but a hard no is unreasonable. @RWordplay Two questions. For whom is the particular historic site of interest? And is the new development worthy of the site, and will it promote commerce and goodwill for those who call the area home? @TudorAge1973 Definitely not, especially where battles have taken place. Be respectful of those who lost their lives.

Read more about the controversy on page 21 and at historyextra. com/ bosworth- debate