Sir, Regarding the housing development protests in Benson, I would like to put forward my view on the situation.

I've been a village resident for over 25 years and have, along with many of my peers grown up in Benson – something which I believe is noteworthy in most part due to the fact that many of the protest group are relatively new to the village in contrast and/or seem to have a particular interest in fighting a development which may threaten the further escalation of house prices here.

I would like to publicly support housing developments at the Littleworth Road site, providing that as part of the development it is ensured that the local infrastructure is improved in such a way to accommodate the additional and current residents in the village.

I believe this is an incredibly important development for Benson, which has been so successful in attracting an affluent commuter population in recent years, but is now saturated and, as a result, the locally employed and educated younger generation are currently being left with no choice but to leave their village in search of an affordable way to step on to the property ladder.

Andrew Copping
Benson