Letter: Poplar planning

THE picture painted by Chris Blackhurst's article about the housing development at Kingston (25 March) is of an idyllic row of poplars in the middle of a local park. In fact, the poplars were planted to conceal the large and unsightly power station from the town and park.

The developer, with the agreement of the local council, has agreed to replant trees elsewhere in the scheme and the trees, by the council's admission, only had a lifespan of another 20 years. These actions were agreed by the local authority as part of the planning process. The local public had every opportunity to raise objections at the time when planning permission was being sought.

If we are not to build on the greenbelt in the future, then the development of brownfield sites such as these will need the co-operation of the local community.

JAMES PELLATT

London N2