Sir – Writing as someone who has lived most of my life in Carterton, perhaps I can help Dr Phil Holmes with his concerns about employment (Gazette, August 21, Build houses near jobs) in the town when more new homes are built.

He ought to relax, because RAF Brize Norton is the largest single employer in West Oxfordshire. It is a well-known fact that the arrival of aircraft from Lyneham has not only increased RAF personnel based at RAF Brize Norton but has given rise to more civilian jobs. It has also given rise to more complaints about aircraft noise and a large number have come from Brize Norton.

It is surprising that sustainability and employment for people living in 700 new homes are issues which someone in Brize Norton has suddenly raised. Residents of Brize Norton have pushed for the allocation of new homes to the west of Carterton, where Crest Nicholson wants to place 1,000 new homes, not 700 homes.

Once the principle of development in the west is established, there would be no constraints to stop another 1,000 homes in 15 years’ time and then another 1,000 homes. This is not impossible, given it is the policy of Carterton Town Council to make the town a growth town and the west allocation is against the wishes of 1,800 residents of Carterton who signed a petition against the west site.

In a Crest Nicholson leaflet, circulated to every household in Carterton in 2012, there was a picture of an all-weather poster in Brize Norton saying: ‘Say NO to the East’.

When Keith Beckingham (Gazette, August 14, Carterton East homes site not a done deal) complained about a brochure, which I have not seen, I am surprised that he did not mention a real howler in the Crest Nicholson leaflet which said: “Development to the west will secure a new Morrisons supermarket.”

We all laughed at this as the leaflet was circulated in December 2012, two months after West Oxfordshire had granted planning permission to Morrisons. The new Morrisons is now at an advanced stage, so it doesn’t need the west allocation to happen.

In November/December 2012, West Oxfordshire went out to public consultation on its Draft Local Plan. Ahead of the forms being printed, councillors must have voted to propose the allocation of Carterton East so that there could be public consultation.

They would not have done so without their planning officers recommending Carterton East, the REEMA land and other sites around the town.

Your newspaper later reported that there were more people supporting the allocation at Carterton East than those against it. Perhaps this is the reason for so many letters appearing from Brize Norton.

I hope the facts above clarify the confusion.

Julie Edgington, Rock Close, Carterton