I am writing in support of last week’s letter from Thelma Frost in which she warned of the threat of speculative developers.

These people do not live anywhere in this area and are only in it for money, no thought whatsoever for the health and welfare of the community they seek to infiltrate and possibly destroy.

This is a large area we are looking at losing to buildings.

Will they upgrade the roads to and from Taunton, which are already becoming heavily congested?

Will they, like builders before, build the minimum amount of homes in order to avoid having to provide additional schools or doctors’ surgeries, and when they have finished them, start a further “minimum” build?

The wildlife, fauna and fungi that will be lost is unthinkable. Owls, bats, stoats, badgers, foxes and deer all inhabit these fields. 

Flocks of redwings and fieldfares can be seen feeding on the grasses in winter, and even the occasional buzzard takes a walk around feeding.

Some years ago, Dunster Lodge Care Home had a planning application turned down because “it could be seen from the surrounding area and didn’t fit in”.

Will they manage to hide all the new homes they are proposing to build from the surrounding area?

Most of the area in question is in the buffer zone to the Exmoor National Park. If this land is allowed to be built on, how long before they start moving towards North Hill? Is Dunkery Beacon in danger?

Margaret Hayes, Dunster Lodge, Alcombe.