Sir – I felt your front-page article (Gazette, February 6, Housing divide) presented a balanced report on this controversial subject.

However, I must challenge the comment you reported by an objector to the Carterton West site, who stated that the Carterton East option is closer to shops.

Indeed, in addition to all the other negatives of the Carterton East option – eg aircraft noise, smell from aviation fuel, light pollution, coalescence, etc – it is not within walking distance of Carterton town centre.

Residents will be forced to use their cars and will then head off towards Witney or other better-served shopping destinations.

So to summarise, lack of local jobs means that they will not work in Carterton and as they are too far from the shops, they will not shop in Carterton.

The east site will simply be a dormitory conurbation which will not contribute to the economy or expansion of Carterton.

Keith Beckingham, Manor Road, Brize Norton