“A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” wrote John Keats many years ago. Let us substitute ‘thing’ with ‘view’ or ‘vista’ and then ask how a handful of Wiltshire councillors voted in favour of building 750 houses on the parcel of good agricultural land north of Hill Corner Road in Chippenham, obliterating the beautiful view.

These fields have been productive for many years and yet the threat that hung over building there has always been rejected, but now it seems developers have sweet-talked councillors to give approval with maybes of open spaces, a school, a dentist/doctor and community facilities.

David Kilminster of Langley Burrell summed up the situation succinctly and we would agree with everything stated. Apparently the 105 letters of objection meant nothing to those in the meeting who voted for approval.

Despite the approval, there are still strong feelings against development, as expressed in the letter last week from Irene Sinclair supported by the picture of some of the Friends of Birds Marsh who have been fighting to save the area.

Bryan & Geraldine Jones, Hill Corner Road, Chippenham.