SIR: I was dismayed to see a photo of Bushfield Camp accompanying the letter from Jan Warwick (Chronicle, December 31).

While I am fervently against any development of the nature of ‘Royal Down’ we need to be wary of automatically assuming that it is better to build on brown field sites.

Each site needs to be looked at on its own merits. Bushfield Camp and the neighbouring Bushfield Down (which I should say is relict down land and not a brownfield site) remain incredibly important open green spaces for local people. Both areas hold a vast array of wildlife including birds, glow-worms, rare butterflies, slow worms and wild flowers. They are also important for bees and other pollinating insects.

The biodiversity would far outstrip a similar area of conventionally farmed arable land. Sadly, there are already well-developed plans to use the camp itself for light industry so it won’t be providing any housing.

Lois Gravely,

Fallow Field,

Badger Farm,

Winchester