jim wormald, of Castlewood Avenue, Newton Abbot, writes:

With reference to the Persimmon Homes (SW) – Mile End Road planning refusal  (MDA September 23).

The question needs to be asked why our paid planning experts at County Highways and district planning raised no objections to, and actually recommended approval of, this application for Mile End Road access?

I have seen no statement from the developers of the 'essential' need of this retrospective, controversial requirement to the success of the housing development.

One unstated, patently obvious, reason is a house 'selling point' of easy access on to the residential route of Mile End, Highweek Village and Ringslade roads for northbound, through traffic attempting to avoid the rush hour congestion points at Dyrons and Jetty Marsh roundabouts.

This unsuitable traffic route is fast becoming another of the busy residential 'rat runs' in the town, without the addition of a potential further 400 cars in the short term.

If our experts could leave their computers for a while and spend an hour outside the Highweek Village Inn between 7am and 9am on any weekday, I am sure they would observe a multitude of reasons why this application should fail.

At a time when many progressive authorities, in the UK and abroad, are making strenuous efforts to minimise the impact of diversionary traffic on residential areas, are we to assume that our own experts are well behind the times in vision and flair?MORE LETTERS IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION