Sir, I have been saddened by the tone of many of the recent letters and reports in the Herald on the subject of new housing developments in the Vale. There is currently a severe housing shortage in southern England and the Thames Valley in particular.

There are a number of reasons for this, of which the two most important are the lack of building to keep up with natural population growth in the last 30 years and increasing average life expectancy, which means that people are living longer in good health and thus remaining in their own homes for many more years than was the norm in the 20th century.

As a result, many of our young people are unable to find affordable homes either to buy or to rent. Before you start complaining about new houses in your town or village, ask yourself: Could I have afforded my first home if it had cost five or six times my salary, or even more? Do I want my children and grandchildren struggling to find somewhere to live that they can afford and is in reasonable reach of their place of work? If the answer to these questions is ‘No’, it is hypocrisy to oppose the long overdue provision of more homes and improved infrastructure in the Vale, even if some are in your backyard.

Bobbie Nichols

Mattock Way

Abingdon