C. J. Randall, of P.O. Box 80, Stake Bay, Cayman Brac, B.W.I. writes:

I live in the Cayman Islands, but spent part of my childhood in Ashburton. My grandmother lived at Kingskerswell and I have fond memories of cycling back and forth via Newton Abbot, (avoiding the hills of the lanes route through Abbotskerswell).

From my grandmother's window I could look up the valley and watch the goods trains awaiting a shunting locomotive to help them up the hill on the Plymouth line. The stretch of undeveloped countryside, which, to my child's eyes, seemed to stretch from the Penn Inn swimming pool to Coles' Lane, formed a definitive break in the conurbation, spoilt only by the 'Madge Mellor' hoarding beside the road.

On a recent visit to show some of my old haunts to my young son I was aghast to find an industrial steel building defacing my memories. This structure would not appear out of place in certain settings, (an industrial estate for example), but has no architectural merit whatsoever in it's present location.

I am not familiar with UK planning law or regulation but would have thought that new buildings would, at least, have to match their surroundings and not be obtrusive. Common sense also dictates that consideration be given to road access, although given this particular building's proximity to the railway is a new siding to be constructed, destroying even more countryside?

Could not the owners have acquired land in a more suitable location or, if not, have at least designed their factory to look like an old farm-yard with granite or brick facings and slate roofs.

Here in the Cayman Islands, any development must first have the written approval of all affected property owners, in the widest sense. Perhaps the colonies can, in this respect, guide the 'mother-country'.