ALTHOUGH its flattering to have West Devon Borough?s two most eminent councillors reply to me in last week?s Letters, I?m confused. Whose letter were they answering? I described the recent consultation on the 20-year Local Development Framework (LDF) by the borough as one of information management, designed to give the borough their desired outcome. The strategy seems to have worked. From West Devon?s population of about 50,000, I understand only 16 written responses were received, of which 14 were from developers. The LDF does not address the crisis in rural West Devon. Housing in the countryside is either grossly overpriced for locals, in short supply, or if it?s social housing for rent, almost non-existent. Essential services such as Post Offices, petrol stations and village schools are under constant threat. The LDF response to this is to put 80% of the new build where 35% or so of the population live, in Tavistock and Okehampton. Villages need to be re-vitalised with housing, at a nationally-quoted average of six new affordable homes per village. Borough Cllrs Dick Eberlie and John Darch recognise that something must be done in our villages, as reported in your paper last week, with the campaign to revitalise rural Post Offices. In last week?s paper too, our MP, Geoffrey Cox, was demanding action in Parliament for West Devon housing. The housing gap in West Devon is the widest in the country. A property sold here averages around £265,000, according to Geoffrey, and almost half of buyers coming into Devon are paying cash. The average income in West Devon is around 76% of the national average, almost the lowest in UK ? a multiplier of about 12:1 of property value to family income. Local families are being squeezed out of their communities. Yet Cllrs Garton and Mathew blame Government policy for the LDF and leave the negotiating with Government to council officers. National policy will only change if community leaders like these two councillors challenge it, just as Geoffrey Cox, Dick Eberlie and John Darch are doing. Officers take their tone and leadership from elected leaders. Alex Wood 4 Kilworthy Hill Tavistock