I WAS interested to read Jean Bradley’s letter in this week’s Herald responding to Paul Morley’s earlier letter “Estate of the Future”.

Ms Bradley asks metaphorically “Can Mr Morley tell us please what planet he is on”? Most people, myself included, would answer “Planet Reality”!

England is a small country with an ever-growing population, recorded  (as at today’s date) by the Wolfram Alpha Computational search engine at 53.87 million people, compared with a figure of just 40.22 million at the end of World War 2 in 1945.

That’s an increase of 13.65% over that relatively short period and, unless immigration restrictions are introduced and properly policed, England will run out of space fast!

However, that situation suits not only the construction industry but also major landowners such as Mrs Bradley. Growth, growth and ever more growth is the mantra chanted by landowners who believe there’s more profit in building than farming.

Unless rigorous action is taken - and fast -this situation can only get worse. Businesses and bankers operate on the principle that profit is the be-all and end-all of their activities. As a long since retired business man myself, I learned this lesson the hard way. If your profits are up by, say, 20% this year, your company’s shareholders will set the bar higher by 40% or more for the years to come.

I know the name of this commercially suicidal game, having founded and run a UK company providing  marketing services for major multinational companies.

Enough is never enough!

Peter Scott-Smith The Green, Long Preston