Sir - I grew up in the suburbs of Birmingham so it probably comes as no surprise that the only Kingfishers that I saw were those that appeared in books.

A change in my husband's work meant a move to the countryside (Blockley Gloucestershire) and for the past nine years we have had both the pleasure and the privilege of living opposite a field that has a brook that flows at its edge.

This field is known locally as Little Shoe Broad, it lies within an area of outstanding natural beauty and is an ancient ridge and furrow archaeological site.

Over the years the pictures from my childhood have become a reality, I see the Kingfisher two, maybe three times a year if I'm lucky. I cannot articulate in this short letter what a thrilling sight this is, it would take paragraphs of descriptive writing in order to do it justice.

I have watched the Barn owl at dusk zig zag back and forth across this same field whilst hunting for its prey.

These sightings are just a snap shot of the many species of wildlife that habitat this site not to mention the flora that exist here.

We became Grandparents three years ago her name is Ava Grace. When she visits, I show her this wonderful field, I tell her how special it is in the hope that one day, she too will come to know the thrill of glimpsing the Kingfisher and not just see it in the pages of a book.

There has now been a planning application submitted to Cotswold District Council by Cala Homes to develop a housing estate on this field.

This field and many others like it isn't just Ava's legacy, it belongs to all of our children and future generations to come.

If Cala are granted permission to develop on this site, I fear that Ava's along with many other children's legacy, will be lost forever.

Lesley Clifford

Blockley