Seafront will be ruined

West Park has been saved. Now pressure is on the Siglion plans, which will change Seaburn into a mini town along with those of Miller Homes, which will see 500 houses built on green space to the west of Whitburn Road.

The latter, Miller Homes, contracted by the University of Sunderland, is going to build 64 houses on land that was given by Sunderland City Council, which in turn was bequeathed to the people of Sunderland over 100 years ago for recreational purposes.

OK, there are not the football activities nor the rugby or other sporting events being held there, but times have changed and the areas threatened are now green spaces for people to walk and enjoy fresh air, all of which help their quality of life.

The land is also home to wildlife and birds that thrive in the open spaces.

However, the overall impact of building is the affect it will have on local services, health, schooling, traffic congestion lack of adequate car parking, efficient drainage systems, the list is endless.

The irony of it all is that there are other areas that could be built upon, and I do believe the council is frightening people when it says the city needs over 13,000 new houses in the next 10 years.

This is at time when Sunderland is losing large numbers of its population to other areas of the country.

There are other parts of the city where houses could be built, Pennywell, where Gentoo demolished hundreds of houses years ago, Grove Cranes, Hepworth and Grandage.

Hundreds if not thousands of people in Sunderland, and people from other areas, oppose the plans for Seaburn seafront. They would prefer to see activities such as a swimming pool and an ice rink, both of which would change Seaburn from a three-month, at best, to a 12-month place to visit.

They will ruin a beautiful seafront. Coun George Howe, Fulwell ward