Leave our AONB land in tranquillity

It is with incredulity that I have read “Luxury holiday homes planned at area of outstanding beauty” (February 16). With vast swathes of development in the pipeline – the last thing that the people of south Canterbury and Bridge need is a retirement village, a 50-acre business park, a food and drink hub, a health club and spa plus the extra people, traffic and pollution that goes with it.

All of this is earmarked within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Such areas are designated precisely because they have been identified as having “natural beauty”, so much so they are given almost the highest status of protection against development.

If we are going to let developers pick and choose these precious areas for their financial gain then we may as well abandon all planning rules. (some would argue that we pretty much have!).

The most important planning regulation document is the National Planning Policy Framework. Paragraph 110 of this states: “Plans should allocate (for development) land with the least environmental or amenity value” and paragraph 115 notes: “Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty”.

These instructions are not challenges to be overcome as the Highland Investment Company (HICO) appears to believe.

Gary Walters, managing director of HICO, seems to think that more human intervention in AONB’S equals more pleasure and that more of the naturally beautiful landscape should be opened up so that even more people can benefit.

So why not put in a fun fair or artificial ski-slopes to utilise the hilly Kent Downs – there are no end of thrills and experiences that could be achieved.

Does Mr Walters think that this approach is sustainable? Hasn’t he noticed that almost the whole panoply of our wildlife has been declining at unprecedented rates primarily because there are too many developers (and others) around to whom a fast buck is far preferable to unspoilt naturally beautiful countryside.

For the sake of those who may follow us, please leave our AONBS in tranquillity and peace. Geoff Meaden Canterbury District Green Party, Selling Road, Old Wives Lees This enhanced photo of the sun setting as the Stour wends its way towards Chartham shows the area in all its rural beauty. It was taken by Johan Van der Westhuizen overwhelming support the Conservatives have in East Kent deserves an answer. He seeks to show that the overwhelming proportion of right wingers on our various representative bodies, from local councillors to MPS, indicates that “a great many people do not want leftists parties anywhere near the levers of government.”

The reality is the large majorities that the Tories have on these bodies are a consequence of the electoral system that we have where, to take an example, in the Canterbury District elections last year; the Tories gained 80% of the seats with 38% of the vote. This is hardly a ringing endorsement for the right wing.

Harry goes on to condemn “leftists” (who exactly?) for being self righteous and narcissistically believing themselves to have a monopoly on goodness. As someone who fits in to that wide group of “leftists” my experience is completely the opposite. We are aware that we are flawed human beings trying to understand a complex world.

The Labour party is going through difficult times at the moment. You may remember how Tony Blair was praised as a political genius for making Labour more acceptable to the middle class; well it seems that the effect of this has been to result in Labour “losing contact with its core voters” which is why it is in trouble now.

Maybe so, but it is worth remembering that on the issue of the EU referendum far more Labour supporters followed their party’s position and voted Remain (65%) than Tory supporters who followed their party’s position and voted remain (39%). Yet we hear very little about the Tory party being riven by disagreements. Huw Kyffin St Augustine’s Road, Canterbury