Sir.-A worrying trend regarding infill development across Basingstoke is becoming more and more apparent, no more so than in Reading Road, Chineham.

I am referring to the outrageous situation where adjacent properties, of an age when plots of land were generous, are being sold off to developers who subsequently demolish them - building mini-estates of high-density housing in their place.

We are used to seeing bungalows turned into detached houses, which at least attempt to maintain the local street scene, but over the last year infill estates are being permitted.

Reading Road has had the Q8 development of 11 houses and, further along, 15 houses have been crammed into the space of two bungalows.

Indeed, applications for two dwellings on a small site seem to have been actively encouraged by planners to be increased to four.

This makes a total mismatch of the established layout and is encouraging more residents to sell up to allow the process to spiral out of control.

While this goes on, I feel that people simply wishing to extend their properties are treated with great scrutiny by planners wishing to "maintain the street scene" and refusals are made in the "interests of local amenity".

It would seem this is totally disregarded when the infill high-density (and highly profitable) proposals are made, as one has to simply see the sites to imagine the scale of impact upon the remaining residents.

These people have bought their houses in the belief that they have invested in an area of similar properties with similar layouts, and yet they now find that this is upturned by crazy planning decisions.

Where will it end? Will we see groups of neighbours selling up so that flats and other dense housing schemes appear within our established estates, because these are the signals being given?

Our council leaders, Councillor Brian Gurden and chief executive Gordon Holdcroft, need to act to stop this madcap destruction of Basingstoke and protect the residents who vote and pay their wages.

Other boroughs are resisting these plans, whereas I feel Basingstoke is grasping at any opportunity for more and more housing and to hell with the people.

They are rolling over and having their tummies tickled!

-Chris Tomblin, Chineham.

Sir.-Re new plans for thousands of houses to be built in Basingstoke.

UKIP - the United Kingdom Independence Party, Basingstoke branch - wants priority for housing to go to local people.

We feel the demand for housing quotas for Basingstoke and the South East has been imposed upon us by Government to meet the needs of uncontrolled immigration.

Let's start by recognising this fact and reduce the demand at source. Let's also recognise that wherever we build in Basingstoke today, so to speak, tomorrow the planners will be looking elsewhere within the borough. Maybe Old Basing or Cliddesden.

Do we the residents of Basingstoke want high-density development? I suggest not.

Do we want limited housing development and priority for Basingstoke people to cater for our needs? Yes we do.

Do we want to expand the town to the point that it will lose its identity? No, I suggest not.

Clearly, we need more housing but not to the extent of that proposed.

-Peter Effer, UKIP's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Basingstoke.