Infrastructure is not up to growth

How can Ashford’s planning committee even consider approving the vast expansion at Chilmington Green when there is a hopelessly inadequate road infrastructure coming into the town from the south west?

This, coupled with the recent hospital Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) damning report of failings in the East Kent Hospitals Trust, certainly ruling out its ability to cope with the influx of a further 5,000 plus families, can only make the Chilmington proposal a total farce. Prof David Hall The Street, Great Chart

On reading the article about the proposed Chilmington development (Planning meeting to be dedicated to Chilmington, KE August 14), I am appalled to see there is no mention of further GP surgeries or, for that matter, another hospital to take the strain of all these extra people, as already our hospital is in crisis.

It is all very well to build new houses for those that can afford to buy but we need more council housing for those less fortunate.

Also, the fact about all the empty shops in the town we do have.

I have lived here all my 61 years of life and it is a shame when I go to the town and see another shut down – even Homebase and the carpet shop opposite on the industrial park have been empty for a very long time.

Surely we should be concentrating on filling these at a reasonable cost before we build even more.

We will soon join up with Tenterden at this rate.

The only thing that seems to draw people here is the Designer Outlet but that does not mean they go to the town centre, as all the shops they require are within this area. This is very evident at Christmas time. It’s a crying shame that this town is not surviving, in my mind. Marilyn Postlethwaite Biddenden, formerly of Ashford

How ironic that in last week’s paper there was an article regarding the planning meeting for the proposed Chilmington development of 5,750 new homes and in the same issue a report on the failures of the William Harvey Hospital.

The hospital just cannot cope with the existing population, let alone another possible 12,000 souls should Chilmington go ahead.

I cannot recall that at any stage there has been mention of an additional hospital being built or indeed GP and dental surgeries that are also overstretched now. Will this be taken into account at the Chilmington planning meeting? Let’s hope so. Jean Churcher Godinton Park, Ashford and called in at a pub in a village near Ashford. Your newspaper was available to read and it contained a court report by Paul Hooper (Ex-Hare Krishna devotee guilty of rape and cruelty, KE August 14).

The defendant was described as sexstarved (having given himself over to the Hare Krishna and celibacy), which is why, it was said, the man had committed rape/s and or assaults.

Can I please ask you to correct the impression left by this article? Rape is not about sex, any more than having your skull crushed by a cricket bat is a game of cricket.

Rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse are always about power and control. Yuki Williamson Hampshire