Andrew Goodridge, of Stockton Hill, Dawlish, writes:

Mr Phillips (Post last week) is correct when he criticises decisions made by the councillors on the Teignbridge Planning Committee.

The lack of a local plan in Dawlish has seen developments passed in areas of outstanding beauty reserved for holiday development, school playing fields taken as part of a new road, prominent landmarks demolished and recently planning permission given which will lead to the destruction of an 11-acre wood despite being protected by a Tree Preservation Order.

To become a member of the planning committee does not require any qualifications. It does not require councillors to have any knowledge of planning or the requirements that new developments will need.

As an objector to one scheme it was very obvious very few councillors had visited the site in question or read the technical information, the objections or noticed the lack of reports from the local services that would be responsible for maintaining the development when it was finished.

Under the Freedom of Information Act I wrote to Teignbridge and was informed that the local health authority, the local education authority, the police, the local emergency forces were among those services who had not been consulted before planning permission had been granted.

While outline planning approval has been granted I repeat my invitation to all those planning officers and the councillors on the planning committee to pay a visit to Dawlish and I, together with other locals, will be happy to give them a guided tour round the area and show them how they could build the same number of houses without destroying the environment and landscape features that enhance the area.

What have they got to lose, especially those councillors who thought trees that are now 20ft tall were not worthy of preservation?THIS AND OTHER LETTERS IN OUR ONLINE EDITION