Beechwood Road development

I am writing in response to yet another planning proposal for more new homes in Caterham, on the site of the old Valley School in Beechwood Road.

As a first time buyer myself I understand the pressure for affordable housing but the fact is that Croydon Road and the surrounding area can no longer cope. Urgent and radical traffic calming measures are needed to make the area safe for pedestrians and cyclists, and there simply isn't the capacity for more on-street parking. It wouldn't happen in Oxted, so why is it allowed to happen in Caterham?

Tim Lloyd, Caterham Valley.

Service with a smile ....

.....Following Christine Greaves' letter regretting that there aren't many shops in Caterham where you are guaranteed a smile, may I suggest that she and any other readers call in to Cafe Bambino for a coffee. Not only will they get an excellent cup of coffee and good refreshments, but they will also be greeted cheerfully by friendly, smiling staff, for whom nothing is too much trouble. Elaine Winter, Whyteleafe.

..... I was surprised to read last month that Christine Greaves does not get smiles at many Caterham shops. I have always found the local shopkeepers to be very warm and friendly, much nicer than the impersonal service you get at the big shopping centres that take ages to get to. Francesca Grant, Kenley.

Thank you

Thank you for forwarding my competition prize of a £20 voucher from Motomax to me in May. I have now used it for the benefit of my car and a two-stroke engine for gardening equipment. Many of us, I am sure, pass through Caterham-on-the- Hill and do not stop to see the surprising variety of shops there. I shall give Caterham-on-the-Hill far more attention in future, rather than automatically travelling further to obtain goods and services.

This shows how the Independent can play a role in generating local trade in these hard times. Carl Roche, Kenley.

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