I have had the pleasure of living in Marden for thirty two years. To read the testimonials on this website is upsetting in particular the sad story of the couple who have only recently moved to the village in order to bring up their baby in the countryside. Hopefully the only solis they may take from this awful uncertainty is that they have moved into a caring and sharing community. The prospect of a 'Garden Village' is devastating and the threat of our beautiful countryside being decimated is inconceivable. Whilst there are three land owners that will be involved in the development, it appears that it is the Firmins that are the driving force, their motive can only be construed as financial gain (after all, who in their right mind can view the development as positive?). On the back of the above, for many of us, we will be experiencing the opposite. In addition to the loss of our green fields, orchards and uninterrupted views (not to mention the impact on the wildlife), we may well be financially affected.  Our house prices may tumble and for those of us who choose to move, that too will have financial implications.  For some of us, our homes maybe our pensions and the long term affects could be massive. I believe that for many reasons, the Firmins have a lot to answer for and due to that, I would relish the opportunity to ask them one simple answer - 'WHY?'