SIR,

Yet another glossy has dropped through my door this week courtesy of Taylor Wimpey.

Coming from a private firm and not my taxes meant it was a smaller, more efficient document.

But it was still filled with the same hard sell as the Local Development Plan.

For those of you who haven't read it we are asked whether we want Wonastow Road, Vauxhall Fields or 'Other' as the site of the new housing estate.

One was left to wonder where the box marked 'Nowhere' was, but I guess the only acceptable answers to further development in Monmouth are yes, yes or yes.

In fact, it felt like an EU referendum.

Lets be clear; Taylor Wimpey do not care about me. Or you.

They care about making money.

If the average price of a new house is £200,000 they stand to turn over £80 million for a 400-home estate.

Lobbing up a few swings or laying a few tracks to walk your dog on isn't going to dent that sum very much at all.

If Taylor Wimpey offered to widen roads, build another school, another supermarket and bring 400 jobs to Monmouth, I might have more respect for their position even if I didn't agree with it.

As it is, by the time you are picking your way through the Monmouth gridlock they'll be long gone.

And where are our elected representatives in all of this?

Are they powerless to stop this unwelcome development?

Are they shareholders in Taylor Wimpey? Do they agree with it?

Either way, if they can't act on our behalf over something as major as this what is the point of voting for them at all?

I can complain myself. I don't need to elect someone to do it for me.

I want action not words. No wonder turnouts at local elections are so dire if the people we elect are so toothless.

And what will they do if the Euro implodes, we hit the double dip recession and no-one can afford these new houses?

Is this really the best time to be throwing up starter homes on greenfield sites?

I'm off out now to walk my dog while there's still a field to walk him in.

Gareth Dunn

(Monmouth)