MAY I say how much I agree with Marjorie Smith (Letters, October 19) over the building of houses behind the corn mill in Whalley and fully understand her concern?

We have been fighting a scheme for housing development in our village for years, which, if it goes through, could lead to one of the most dangerous access and calming measures, according to some of the most senior traffic consultants.

But all our protests have been swept aside. Ribble Valley Council does not want to know. As Marjorie Smith says, Whalley is already crowded with cars. But what will it be like when they start building at Calderstones?

I remember, before the by-pass was built, traffic queueing from Whalley right up Mitton Road to the top entrance to Calderstones and the journey taking 20 minutes or more at the weekends, especially in summer.

But don't worry, its only 300 houses they are building for a start, but you can bet that it will go up and up.

The fact that there is no school, we are told, has been taken into account and one will be built, but when, we don't know.

All that Ribble Valley Council is interested in is getting houses built so that they can collect the Council Tax.

J SYKES (Mr), Calder Avenue, Billington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.