The development at Sherford, in which the Prince’s Found­ation had a large influence, has received a lot of press comment.

The design is for three-storey Victorian town houses. When you enter, in front of you is a staircase of straight steps to the first floor. This floor is 12ft above the ground floor. There is then a second staircase to the top floor. The parking space is 50 yards away. The houses are impractical for young families because of the stairs and the distance from the car with children and shopping. They are not fit for the elderly.

It leaves them with fit young couples, who do not mind getting wet when they go to or come from their cars and can change a light bulb in a 12ft high ceiling, the only market.

The people who criticised South Hams District Council for allowing modification of the plans had obviously not been to look for themselves to see if they would like to live there.

It must be the job of responsible architects to design user friendly houses and resist the whims of the Prince’s Found­ation. Houses like these were built when the occupants could send for their carriage from a mews.

John O’Connell

Fore Street, Ivybridge