The publication of the South East Plan has been greeted with a some opposition, judging by the contributions to the letters pages of the Surrey Advertiser. The objections range from total opposition to any further development in Guildford, objections to building more affordable housing and a few respondents who accept the need for more affordable housing so long as it isn't built anywhere near them.

Former Labour councillor Keith Chesterton and Martin Phillips explain why more affordable housing must be built here.

Guildford needs more housing, says Keith Chesterton

The country needs a lot more housing or a lot of people will be living in conditions that few of us would accept.

The UK's population is increasing, people are living longer and more of us are living on our own.

The south east is one of the engines of growth of our economy and people want to live where the jobs are. Even under Mrs.Thatcher, when there were masses of people without jobs, the unemployed were urged to travel to the placer with more jobs.

So of course, more houses will need to be built in the south east,

including in Guildford, so that "people from outside" as one correspondent to the paper have put it, can live here and work as well as the people in Guildford right now, who need homes.

Guildford is not an island - people move in and out all the while. Two of the people who have done most for the people of Guildford - honorary freemen Bill and Doreen Bellerby both came here from Wales. How many of the people who live in Guildford now were born here?

And I know some of those writing to object to building homes for "outsiders" themselves cam from outside Guildford (as I did over 35 years ago). I like living in Guildford with its countryside and all its facilities.

Sometimes I wish it was less crowded, but if there weren't all the people, the cinemas, the theatres, Spectrum and Guildford's shops wouldn't survive. And Guildford has excellent train services and good bus services (on weekdays). That is why Guildford is a regional hub.

The Tory-controlled South East Regional Assembly did not do a proper job on housing needs for the region. It ignored SEEDA's arguments. The regional panel on page 1 of its report on the South East Plan rightly criticises the assembly as it "gives no voice to those of the next generation who will be seeking homes within this plan period and no voice to those who may need to or wish to move to this region to take up job opportunities".

It is Government's job to listen to those voices, to agree that more housing is needed for the sake of our children and grandchildren - and others' grandchildren too.

Guildford is full of people who are migrants from elsewhere in the country, but now some of them want to stop anyone else living here. That includes children who have grown up here but will have to move away because there won't be any homes for them to live in - if the nimbys have their way.

Guildford needs more houses for young people or else our town will become, like so many others, a glorified retirement colony and museum, that slowly dies as its residents become more elderly and all the young people are priced out of living here.