Having read the letters page I felt I had to write in response to the essentially snobbish and stuck up comments of Andrew Laird of Letchworth Garden City (fears over 5,000 homes) to stick up for Stevenage. I, of course, understand his concerns about the

Having read the letters page I felt I had to write in response to the essentially snobbish and stuck up comments of Andrew Laird of Letchworth Garden City (fears over 5,000 homes) to stick up for Stevenage.

I, of course, understand his concerns about the extent of the redevelopment planned but really object to him saying it will make living in Hitchin almost as bad as being stuck in Stevenage and likened my home town to a concrete jungle.

The irony is that on page 33 of the February 2 edition of The Comet an article appears that echoes my feelings - we in Stevenage are proud of our clean green environment including over 350 acres of well maintained open space. It goes on to congratulate Stevenage for being selected to represent the Anglia Region in the Best Small City category of the finals of the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom competition!

The Royal Horticultural Society cannot be wrong Mr Laird, which makes your comments nothing less than ill informed, narrow minded and insulting.

Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin are not part of this competition but Stevenage is.

GAIL READING, A proud Stevenage Resident

* Andrew Laird (Letters, February 2) can rest assured that his concerns about overdevelopment in North Herts are shared not only by many citizens but also by the elected members of North Herts District Council. We are doing all we can to resist housing development on the scale proposed as part of the East of England Plan, including not only the new proposal for substantial building around Hitchin, but also the existing proposals for expanding Luton and Stevenage into North Herts countryside.

We do of course agree to some developments, and our long standing policy is that we should protect our green belts and develop on brownfield sites so far as possible. There is nothing secret here, if Mr Laird wants to know more he has only to come to one of our frequent council meetings which discuss these proposals in public and in some detail.

CLLR Richard Thake, Portfolio Holder, Planning and Transport