I write to request your help with saving another allotment site, namely Grange Road allotments, in Netherton.

It was with great delight we read your article about giving publicity to saving the site.

We also know that you have given us some publicity in the past, but would ask for an appeal to all budding growers and gardeners to contact the council and request a plot on the grange allotments, as the council wants to build 160 five, four and three storey flats on half of the existing site. When we read that, two years later, the allotments are thriving, it goes to show what we will miss, because, once concreted over, they will never return.

The council has been given permission to dispose of the land by "go east" much to the dismay of MP Stewart Jackson who has written to the councillors involved.

The council, which owns the land is applying on July 15 for planning permission, I wonder if it will get permission?
This development is totally out of character, and the infrastructure will not cope with this type of build, which is completely in the wrong place.

The article in The ET, on July 7, by councillor Goldspink had me scratching my head as he was slating a block of two-storey flats being built in Ashcroft Gardens and got the planning permission thrown out on the grounds it was a "carbuncle". Well what on earth does he call this?

I suggest that Peterborough City Council starts listening to public opinion and not lining its pockets with money spinning developments.
Help save Grange Road allotments.
Mrs S Godhard
Portman Close,
Peterborough

Criminals are not deterred
With reference to your front page headline on July 3, every week 50 drivers suffer break in misery, I would like to to write an open letter to those pillars of society who break into cars (assuming, of course, they can read).

On Friday July 4, I became the victim of car crime for the third time this year. I parked my car in Forestry Commission (FC) property while a friend and I set out for a walk with my puppy on a rare day off.

I followed all the police advice: my car was parked near others, it was locked, and not only was there nothing of value on show there was nothing of value in the car after my previous experiences.

On returning to the car, we found that the passenger window was smashed and there was glass all over the inside of the car. The window frame was scratched and damaged where they had presumably tried to prise the door open. I borrowed a mobile phone to call the police and report the crime (many thanks to the lady in question and her husband), and was given another number to ring.

I proceeded to report the crime to the FC warden, whose response, though sympathetic, was basically that they knew that car crime took place on the site but there was nothing they could do about it, and suggested that I use the pay and display car park at this site rather than the other one as there were more people about. I pointed out that as the site is more developed that the one I was at it was less suited to walking a puppy.

Meantime, the FC had three vehicles, as far as I could see, sitting idle at the time. One suggestion I have is that perhaps one of the vehicles could be used to patrol on a regular basis to perhaps deter criminals.

I then spent nearly an hour on the phone to the police to report the crime. The overwhelming attitude was there was no CCTV or evidence, so unless they could link the crime to others, there was little they could do.

I would just like to know what the criminal got from this – it doesn't look like they were able to enter the car they did not get anything out of the car so nothing of monetary value was gained. However, they are obviously secure in the knowledge that the police and, in this case the Forestry Commission are content to allow crime to continue against people who park their cars in this area.
Mary Madden
Mary's Avenue,
Wittering,
near Peterborough

Stop getting nature reserves mixed up
Twice this week I have read articles in The ET which refer to Eye Nature Reserve (which is off Crowland Road, Eye) but have been reported as "Star Pit at Dogsthorpe"... two totally different sites at either end of the village of Eye.
One article reported police trying to stop the mini motorbikes and the other related to the "missing swans" . . . both incidents photographed at Eye Nature Reserve, off Crowland road, Eye.
R Robson