I feel I have to write to express how outraged I am at the preposed plans to build more houses in Rayleigh and the preposed sites for Travellers.

Rayleigh used to be a nice quiet area to live in, now it's getting over crowded with too much traffic, there are not enough places for the existing children to go to school, let alone more children coming into the area. There are not enough doctors & dentists available, it takes ages to get an appointment anywhere, hospitals as well.

Why do the council have to build houses all the time to get more money for them. Why can't they give something back to the community & give us what we need. Build more schools, more doctors & dentists and somewhere for the teenage kids to go like a youth centre with activities that would be much more productive than hanging around the streets, or the proposed teen shelter in Sweyne park. Don't understand why they want to close the Rawreth Lane industrial estate and then start it us somewhere else, it's fine where it is.

Why can't we have a family place such as a bowling alley with a family restaurant, we're crying out for a descant place to go and eat, or a swimming pool? Basically, there are not enough amenities in this area.

And I've just read in the Rayleigh Times that Rayleigh Boys FC have been refused a planning application for a permanent home on land near The Old Rayleigh Road, why? This isn't fair to the youth of today. Football clubs are good for the youth of today, it teaches them discipline and exercise, they need a base!!!

Why don't the council have more meetings to talk to the public and listen to what we have to say & what we want, we live here, we pay our taxes, don't we have a say in what goes on in our community?

And by the way, when is something going to be done about the disgusting state of the roads in Essex, it's been quite a while now since the snow went. What do we pay our road tax for!!!

Look forward to your comments