Sir,

Re. proposed housing development at Skrinkle, as Mr. Calver has mentioned my name personally, may I please be given the opportunity to reply to his letter published in last week's edition. I could not agree more with the comment 'Housing situation dire', but, do we say, 'Let's build on every bit of green area we can find within estates and villages and turn them into concrete ghettos? To hell with the consequences of poor planning and community needs, build, build, build anywhere and everywhere on estates?' Cramming a quart into a pint pot is not the answer, and neither is Skrinkle the answer to the whole of Pembrokeshire's housing needs. There is plenty of alternative land surrounding Skrinkle and other communities that could and should be made available. Mr. Calver says 'we need to provide for those among our children who wish to stay in our communities'. Again I totally agree! Yet, as Mr. Calver is fully aware, of all the recent developments on Skrinkle comprising of one bedroomed flats to four bedroomed houses, including the units let in September 2007, not one person on the housing list from Skrinkle or Manorbier has been allocated a property. So much for meeting the local need and children of our community. With reference to another of Mr. Calver's points regarding the play area, it was the shrubberies I was referring to as being weed-infested and poorly maintained by PCC (which has now been rectified). This area was put forward as a Jubilee Park to enable the association to attract grants for landscaping and seating for the benefit of the Skrinkle and Manorbier community generally, especially parents, to enjoy while watching toddlers play in the toddler play park and their older siblings in the play area. This area was recognised as, and therefore accorded recreational status as defined within the JUDP. Policy 120 is in place to protect this recreational play area, unlike the previous application for Hounsel Avenue, which was only referred to as a green amenity area. There is quite a clear distinction and the National Park should be working in accordance with their policies and protecting this area. The issue of affordable housing is not peculiar to Skrinkle, it is a national problem and Pembrokeshire as a whole desperately needs more housing. Building small developments here and there in villages, stealing play/amenity area and grass verge space is not the answer, nor is it addressing truly local needs. Building piecemeal developments is not going to answer the 'dire' needs of our larger towns such as Tenby, Narberth, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, Haverfordwest and Fishguard etc. The only way to tackle this huge dilemma is for PCC councillors to take the bull by the horns and take radical action to free up enough land around these towns to meet the needs both now and for projections in the future. Only then will villages need to expand at a gentle rate to keep pace with the truly local need.

C. Cochrane, Manorbier.

Please note: No more letters will be accepted on this subject at the present time - Editor.