Letter: Nothing wrong with Knockroon

I WAS very disappointed in the tone of your article (News, 9 January) about the Prince's Foundation's proposed new housing development at Knockroon near Cumnock in Ayrshire. What exactly is wrong with trying to replicate a strong Scottish identity?

I hope that the promoters of the development ignore the calls of Architecture + Design Scotland and others to water down the design guidelines and stick to their guns to create something that might be one of tomorrow's conservation areas.

The Foundation should be commended for sticking its neck out and challenging the obsession with "modernism" that seems to fetter most of the architectural profession today.

Those giving the criticism might be better off trying to devote more of their energies to improving the 95 per cent of new housing developments in Scotland that come nowhere near the quality being proposed at Knockroon, whether in contemporary or traditional architecture.

Perhaps they should also take their blinkers off and look south of the Border where successful developments in the local architectural vernacular are much more the norm. Scotland has a lot of catching up to do.

Ronald P A Smith, Linlithgow