REGARDING The Crows Nest, Bursledon (formerly The Oak Hill Hotel), may I say how sad it will be to see the old place possibly demolished, allegedly making space for seven four-bedroomed houses.

If indeed this is the case then what an unpardonable waste of space this is considering the need for a large number of dwellings our Government are telling us that we are required to build in and around this area. I would have thought that the council should be considering a slightly more dense build incorporating some kind of warden accommodation for the elderly and some “affordable” housing to ease the problems of our younger people and first-time buyers desperately trying to get a foot on the property ladder, maybe in the area close to where they were born or currently work. Another advantage from using the sensible mixture of builds suggested would be to give some of those people, who perhaps do not have their own transport, the chance to be near a bus stop.

Whatever the outcome of the development we are almost certain to get at least an additional 20 or so cars from a mixture of residents and visitors and is a problem for the council to address properly with those vehicles accessing to an already busy and potentially dangerous junction on Dowell Lane and the crown of Oak Hill.

This junction is in no way friendly to local pedestrians, many of them elderly, and trying to cross there on foot can be a life-threatening experience.

I would be very alarmed and indeed very unhappy if this were a case of a developer dictating to Eastleigh Borough Council what it is prepared to do.

This is our village and elected councillors are in place to ensure that the wishes of the majority are carried out unless a suitable reason to do otherwise is brought to public attention for further discussion.

MRS U J SUMMERS, Bursledon.