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Editorial

Paul Cheshire is Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics. On 9th July 2014 his post on the LSE's Spatial Economics Research Centre blog began "Almost every reasonable person must now accept the case that we need to build on some parts of currently designated Greenbelt land. Not everyone is, of course, reasonable". He places Taplow in the 'Not everyone' camp and casts himself as the epitome of reason by saying "There is land around Taplow which looks to have environmental or scenic value but plenty which does not" and concluding his long blog by observing "Maybe if the 1,584 citizens of Taplow are unwilling to accommodate more housing they should be taxed the increased value of their houses".

So are we citizens of Taplow unreasonable NIMBYs? The facts say not. There were 1,584 people living here in 2001, 1,669 in 2011 and – when current and prospective developments are taken into account – the population will soon rise to between 2,100 and 2,500. Even the lower of these projections represents an increase of one­third on Prof Cheshire's out­ dated benchmark.

South Bucks District Council seems to believe it reasonable to protect the Green Belt by, for example, refusing the second recent planning application to redevelop Silchester Manor because (as the officer's report on that application confirmed) SBDC can fulfil local housing needs for the foreseeable future without building on Green Belt. Who is being unreasonable here? Is it Taplow for not wanting to be concreted over when it is just not necessary? Is it SBDC for seeking a balance between the need for places to live and for green spaces that add a little quality to life? Or is it an influential academic who has glanced from his ivory tower at Google Earth, taken offence at patches of green that surround us, put his favourite bit between the teeth of his hobbyhorse and ridden rough­shod across inconvenient truths? Let's hope the day will come when powers-­that­-be look at real numbers and decide it is reasonable and right to say 'Enough'.

Nigel Smales