THE debate over brown field and Greenfield sites can be solved quite simply.

The developers must build X-number of houses for affordable rent or buy on brown field first, then they can build the same number of affordable rent or buy on Greenfield.

But on every estate, there must be a school and doctors surgery, and these must be built along with the houses, the same as the Highfield estate was built.

One of the main problems was the right to buy. The council's housing stock has gone down so these houses have been lost to the rental market.

The main reason the right to buy was brought in was to lower the housing stock, so this would lower a council's cost in labour and maintenance.

Also, development on anything given planning permission should start within a certain time.

If the development has not started then the council should be able to buy the land back at 20 per cent less of the original price.

Derek Entwistle.

Kearsley.