IF the pinnacle of ambition and desire in Sir John Hall’s vision for our county (Echo, Feb 21) is to see “cranes on the skyline”, then heaven help us all.

Personally, I’d choose landscape over cranes any day although I’m not one of the green campaigners he alludes to so witheringly through his belittling remarks.

Either his words were taken out of context, or that remarkable vision which he was once so famous for is now failing.

Both he and Durham County Council appear to be genuinely baffled as to the reasons why the County Durham Plan was so comprehensively thwarted by the Planning Inspector Harold Stephens.

Sir John claims that Mr Stephens has completely misunderstood the North East and its economic problems – that may yet be so - but I would also suggest that actually, surprisingly, so has Sir John.

We don’t all want to be part of some giant economic powerhouse, certainly not if it comes at the expense of all we hold dear, our gorgeous green belt countryside and landscape which would be so intrusively carved into with little or no regard for either its heritage or environment.

I was particularly bemused by his complete agreement with the plans’ strategy to concentrate solely on Durham City and to exclude the immediate possibility of regeneration of rundown areas.

He argues that no investor would ever want to build in an area where there are just sheep.

Given Sir John's own considerable investment several years ago in Wynyard Hall, this seems slightly ironic.

His vision, and that of Durham County Council, appear flawed – each seems determined to ignore the wishes of the local people and hell-bent on altering both the economics and culture of our region.

Surely caution and moderation is the key, not the pointless wholesale desecration resulting from the “think big” approach?

Angela Williamson, Chester-le-Street.