GEOFFREY J Fielden, former South Hams district councillor and chairman of development control (2003-11), of Brownston Street, Modbury, writes: I have attended the two recent Modbury Parish Council meetings regarding the RA1 development site. Both meetings were well-supported, with a good attendance from the younger generation, several of whom spoke in favour of the development to proceed. A member of the Modbury First group was asked how many members were in the group. Surprisingly, the answer was 'only eight'. This group has been dormant since late 2010 until recently and has always been reluctant to declare who its members are and its numbers. In June 2010 South Hams Council consulted the public on the development planning ­document by producing the local development framework to achieve its obligations and choices for development in the South Hams until 2015. The Modbury First submission was completed by Mrs Lindsay Ward, who was ­chairman at the time. There were some comments in the document that were not correct and which were duly admitted as incorrect. The RA1 site allocation DPD was placed before a planning inspector on November 3, 2010, with the Modbury First Association represented by Mrs Lindsay Ward and Mrs Wendy Hopkins, who spoke against the development. The Modbury Society, in favour of the development and with a current membership of 164, was represented by Mrs N Shepley and Mrs B Gage. The inspector duly agreed that the South Hams Council DPD process was sound; and therefore the development planning document could be adopted, which it was in February 2011. The Bloor Homes plan before the community has difficulties, some of which will not be ­overcome, while others require complete rethinking and some fine-tuning. The employment site building and adjoining houses fronting the A379 are appalling and a disaster. The area needs to be looked at again, and I would suggest a site meeting with site poles showing the east wall eaves level and south wall ridge level with the roof. The remedy is to resite the building and it would be a grave mistake to leave it where planned. Come on Bloor, surely you can do better? I would suggest that the largest and tallest building should not be sited on the highest point of the development. Such a building should be sited in a position where it nestles into its own surrounds. From the discussion at the two meetings it would appear that this was the intention of the parish council steering group for RA1 all along. I hope that the developer will now take the opportunity to reflect the historical assets of the town and the topography of the site in its designs.