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Well said Mrs Wilkie (letters February 1). There is in fact a great deal of concern about the amount of redevelopment going on in Hitchin. Public attendance at meetings of the Hitchin Committee confirms this. As a main point of contact with councillors, planning officers and developers (and a source of some surprises), attendance at these meetings is important for people with concerns about local issues, particularly planning matters.

Now it appears that North Herts District Council are proposing watering down the monthly Area Committee system and centralising planning decisions in Letchworth 'to save money'. This will not be convenient for Hitchin people.

Whoever is driving this proposal, please think again.

Bill Bowker, Verulam Road, Hitchin

* Re Rose Cottage, Walsworth Road.

Mr Smith appears to assume, when he accuses the local residents of 'Nimbyism', that we oppose any development of the above site. Rather it is the specific proposal to which we object. This includes the demolition of a Victorian villa of historic value, and its replacement with apartments in a style out of keeping with the local area.

The council planning officer himself objected to the use of cedar boarding and metal roofs and so the developers introduced a token gable, got rid of the boarding and replaced the metal roof with slates. Unfortunately, these changes were only applied to the smaller building facing Walsworth Road, not to the two larger buildings behind. So we now have the illogical situation that the plans have been altered to suit the transient traveller on the main road, whereas the local residents will have to put up with the 'inappropriate' buildings every time we look out of the window.

If it is 'Nimbyism' to object to such schemes, then let us have more of it.

Andrew Surry, Address supplied