Residents fear the view could disappear
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As planning authorities ponder whether to give the go-ahead to hundreds of thousands of new homes in the East of England, BBC News Online speaks to a resident there who fears for his rural lifestyle.
Sean Travers-Healy moved with his young family to the rural east of England from Berkshire 15 years ago.
"I originally moved to countryside outside Reading from London for the peace," he says.
"It was idyllic but then the M4 development began. I then moved my family to our current home between Baldock and Royston to take up a new job."
Mr Travers-Healy watched his two daughters, now 18 and 20, grow up with freedom and fresh air but fears that his son, aged seven, will not have the same opportunities.
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What we are seeing now is the same creeping urbanisation that I saw in the M4 corridor
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"The older girls will not be affected much by the new developments - the oldest is now at university," he says.
"But my son, who currently has a great quality of life, will certainly see the difference. He has been a very lucky boy up to now, brought up in a close rural community.
"What we are seeing now is the same creeping urbanisation that I saw in the M4 corridor."
Tranquillity
Mr Travers-Healy fears the plans will hugely affect the local way of life, bringing increased traffic and noise.
"We moved to a small community with all the benefits that go with it - peace, tranquillity and beautiful countryside," he says.
"Berkshire changed quite dramatically and the current plans will have the same catastrophic effect on Cambridgeshire and other areas. Urban sprawl totally changes the character of a community."
Unfortunately for the family, they will not be moving on to pastures new.
"I'm now retired," said Mr Travers-Healy, 57. "But my wife works for Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust and we are tied to the area by her job."
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