SIR - In last week’s Herald Paul Diviani said the “Knowle” debate has been dominated by the “same old campaigners” and said he wanted more young people to come forward.

They don’t actually have as much free time as the “old campaigners” whose opinions shouldn’t be ignored just because they are old.

Many young people have said to me they are pleased we are protesting.

There is a natural evolution of towns,over time, into different types: young people(Exeter), commuter towns(Honiton), industrial towns(Plymouth) and retirement towns(Sidmouth). Individuals migrate between them throughout their lives.

They do not stay in the same place from birth to death! Towns are not all the same as EDDC seems to think, requiring the same percentage of new housing, industrial estates and care homes.

Sidmouth should be allowed to retain its character and not have an arbitary plan inposed on it by EDDC who are only interested in their new office vanity project and couldn’t care less about any of us.

L Cotton, 5 Bennett’s Hill, Sidmouth