Making liberal allowances for the cost of building the 140 hutches in Paynes Park, I have calculated that Stephen Howard will make at least 230 per cent profit on his homes . These horrors could therefore be reduced to 82 floored brick buildings with til

Making liberal allowances for the cost of building the 140 hutches in Paynes Park, I have calculated that Stephen Howard will make at least 230 per cent profit on his "homes". These horrors could therefore be reduced to 82 floored brick buildings with tiled roofs, giving the grateful occupants 50 per cent more room to swing their cats, and Hitchin could retain its ancient roofscape and two 1,000-year-old rights of way that will certainly be lost if this mis-shapen sixties tenement block is allowed to go ahead.

Stephen Howard will still make 130 per cent profit, and Hitchin will be saved from having to endure the sight of these stalags for the next century, while Stephen suns himself in the Cayman Islands.

If the planning dept and the councillors et al cannot find the collective backbone to withstand these predations by 'developers', which are now at epidemic proportions in Hitchin, will they kindly stand down and allow genuine representatives to replace them, preferably forthwith, before this town is entirely destroyed. Their craven capitulations over the years are directly responsible for these hideous warrens being inflicted on our once lovely town.

I do not doubt that the people of Hitchin would dearly like to see a front page picture of Stephen Howard's home. Would you oblige us please Mr Editor.

Whilst you are about it, would you return the artist who painted the impressionist painting of "Paynes Park sur Mer", back to the Rupert Annual illustration dept, and give us a realistic, accurate picture of Paynes Park canyon, in perpetual gloom, with the pale face of a householder at the ground floor kitchen window, 12ft from the exhaust fumes and constant noise of the endless traffic which he or she will be subjected to.

The current design is based wholly on greed, not need. Tell it like it is please.

M.T. EDWARDS, Heathfield Road, Hitchin