You can choose to change at Cheltenham

somewhat ironic that this green space is gradually being filled with more and more industrial units ?

The need for more such units in the current economic climate is perhaps questionable, particularly as there seems to be a plethora of such developments in the area.

There is, on the other hand, apparently a significant requirement for new homes. Unfortunately under the JCS (Joint Core Strategy) of Tewkesbury Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council a lot of these new homes are being built on the flood plain.

The airport site continues to be a more appropriate site for housing than those currently being developed particularly as the financial performance of Gloucestershire Airport Limited itself is so poor.

It is being kept afloat only because it retains 90% of the rental income from the industrial units on the airport site.

There is no reason why all that income could not go directly to the owners of the site, Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council, which would be of some considerable financial benefit to both of those local authorities.

Rome without the permission of the people, imposed an unwanted local government reform on England that saw ancient counties swept away in favour of non-existent ones.

Gloucestershire lost its southernmost tip to one of these new counties.

Then John Prescott tried dividing England into artificial Euro regions which nobody wanted.

Since the Tories returned to power they have promoted ‘city regions.’

All this is about providing an English equivalent to devolution to the nations of Scotland and Wales.

The only answer is an all England one, that is some sort of English parliament.

Now on our own doorstep we are presented with something from out of Gilbert and Sullivan or an Ealing comedy: the splitting of Gloucestershire into two halves. Why? What is the point of it?

Gloucestershire is one of England’s historic counties and as an entity is more than 1,000 years old.

It is indeed the quintessential England and is a genuine local identity in its own right.

It seems unlikely that splitting the county will result in improved services or lower council tax bills.

The reverse is more likely. Speaking personally I have no wish to pay more council tax for fewer and poorer services. This nonsense should be dropped like a hot brick.

Get everything you need to know about where you live with our app or via the Inyourarea.co.uk ✒ YOU published a letter from Mr F B Cowell (Letters, September 3) in which he complained about being unable to specify Cheltenham as an intermediate station when booking a ticket from Gloucester to Sheffield.

Mr Cowell may be interested to know it is possible to specify changing at Cheltenham. If using the National Rail journey planner, he should select the “Advanced Search” option and “Include Interchange” adding the name “Cheltenham”.

This will result in all journeys being presented including a change at Cheltenham rather than Birmingham.

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