SIR: I read with interest your article “Campaigner presses council over crossing” in the Chronicle (December 17).

What drew my attention were the figures mentioned about the building progress at Kings Barton. There have been 270 house completed over a period of three years and nine months. That is an average of 72 house completions per year. Given that there are 2,000 houses due to be constructed, at the present rate of progress, the building programme will take 28 years to complete. As almost four years have already elapsed, by my calculations, this means that the completion of the development of Kings Barton will not be reached until 2044. Virtually half way through this century.

I clearly remember in the early days of the development of Barton Farm, reading in the Chronicle, that the overall development was going to take 12 years.

I assumed from this that some parcels of the land would be sold by CALA Homes to other developers, for them to construct some phases, thereby speeding up the overall completion. This is what happened at Badger Farm and other large development complexes, in other areas that I have known.

Maybe the progress of Kings Barton has been scheduled so that the completion of the development coincides with the finishing of the regeneration of Silver Hill, the Station Approach and presumably the alternative use of the River Park Leisure Centre.

All of which our dynamic council are dealing with at a snail’s pace.

Colin Butcher,

Mortimer Close,

Kings Worthy