I CAN totally understand views on the proposed building on green belt land.

I personally get great pleasure coming out of my estate on Elton Head Road seeing the farmers' fields in front and animal grazing.


I know it’s a very emotive subject and wish we weren’t in this situation.

However, St Helens Council has lost £70 million in government grants in the last six years to rise to £110 million in the next few years.

It needs to raise more money from council tax and business rates. 


Moreover in our town, 70 per cent of properties are in a band A therefore not raising enough revenue to fund the services we all rely on.


Building new houses of higher value is the only way to increase the tax base, together with releasing land for new jobs.


You may say, as I have myself in the past, who will buy these houses?
But evidently due to our good transport links we are selling houses faster than neighbouring authorities. 


A similar problem is the government s latest solution to fund social care by a charge on council tax – the poor subsidising the even poorer.


The tax base can in no way raise the money lost from our social care budgets so don’t get old or disabled in deprived areas, better relocate to Winslow or Maidenhead. 


So difficult choices need to be made, if jobs and houses go elsewhere and the town falls into decline unable to provide services. 


Theresa Butler, St Helens