I HAVE just seen the latest proposals for the development of the Coate site.

We are lucky that a company is willing to transform a scruffy bit of land, wedged as it is between the continuously roaring motorway and two busy dual carriageways into a desirable place to live plus the added attraction of a new university with all that does for jobs in our town.

What I saw in those plans gave me a vision of a park not just a country park, with a muddy footpath trailing past an unkempt lake. No, this park would be surrounded by well tended shrubbery and would be a haven to not only wildlife, but also to the fortunate students and house owners who were lucky enough to live there.

I have heard a lot of comments about the proposals, such as ruining Coate. But how does building houses close to a park ruin it? Are our two wonderful inner city parks ruined, are they spoiling the lovely landscape around them? No, of course they aren't. From the western side of the lake how can the views be spoilt by development? From the eastern side there is a short area where you can see the hospital and a few scruffy fields and on a very clear day the ridge beyond the motorway. Well when the plans go through this view will still be there. So what are we supposing to be losing?

W VIGOR

Swindon