I find it hard to understand why new developments need to be concentrated in two areas or why new communities need to be created.

There are more than 80 established towns, villages and hamlets, about ten miles or less from Colchester.

Most of these places are poorly served with public transport, making them exclusive to car owners.

This has resulted in the closure of local facilities such as schools, shops, post offices and pubs and the decline in the use of historic buildings, such as places of worship.

I guess the “garden communities” criticised by the planning inspector seek to emulate such developments as Letchworth.

Historically, they were fine, but today such developments suffer from the same problems we face in the Colchester area, too many private cars on the roads, closed facilities and a consequent decline in local employment/industry.

Many people living in towns, villages and hamlets around Colchester are now so poorly served with public transport, residents have little choice but to own their own car or rely on relatives, friends or taxis to ferry them to the services they need.

Small developments of 15, 20 or even 50 new homes in such places are therefore not a viable option, although I would suggest this is exactly what is needed to revitalise them.

Would it not be better to revive or extend existing communities than to create new ones? Or at least, if new ones must be created, put in sustainable infrastructure first.

By sustainable infrastructure I mean new rail lines, bus services, footpaths and cycles paths.

Developments in the past three or more decades have relied too much on existing infrastructure and facilities, but this has exacerbated the decline of some rural communities in favour of urbanisation and out of town retail parks.

If so-called garden communities are to be built, then I suggest they are scaled down considerably, so that much-needed investment can be directed towards better cycle, footpath and public transport provision for those already in existence.

B J Butler

Guildford Road, Colchester