I FEEL that I must comment on your article (Gazette, February 18) concerning a refusal of planning permission on land at Ram Hill, Coalpit Heath under the ownership of Mr Drafus Young.

In the article Mr Young made it very clear that because of the refusal of planning permission by South Gloucestershire Council, he was considering selling the site to Irish travellers.

As a representative of local people and one who fights for the retention of the Green Belt, I must say that the attitude expressed by Mr Young saddens me almost to the point of anger.

I wonder if he consulted his near neighbours before he made this untimely threat? Did he ask for their views? Did he wonder how they might feel? Obviously not, because he stated that he had been offered "tens of thousands of pounds" by Irish travellers for the purchase of the land.

I look upon this as a threat to the well-being of his neighbours and it only adds to more ill-feeling towards the traveller population that seems to pick areas of South Gloucestershire to settle.

Is he aware that in the Westerleigh ward there are currently four sites owned by travellers or gypsies, three of which have planning consent and one that is subject to enforcement and legal closure?

Is he aware of the number of unauthorised travellers encampments that have been the subject of much heartache for local people over recent years?

Sadly Mr Young, you have not done your homework on this one. The site in question that you wish to develop is located in the Green Belt and outside of the village development boundary and therefore falls foul of guidelines and polices of the council of which I am an elected member.

I fully concur with the planning refusal and will add this comment. For some time now and most likely in the future, people like me, elected to represent the interests of local people, have been and will continue to resist further development within the Green Belt, to protect those areas against pressures from central government for thousands of homes.

So you make up your mind to throw your dolly out of the pram because you failed to get your way with the planners. This causes concern for those around you. You give little thought to the effects that an unauthorised development on this land by travellers or anyone else for that matter, will bring.

It will only result in more heartache for local people with the blame then being attached, like it usually is, to South Gloucestershire Council and those like me elected to represent those people.

Cllr Alan Bracey South Gloucestershire councillor (Westerleigh Ward) Yate End