I WOULD like to respond to comments made by Theydon Bois and Abridge Action Group in the open letter to Epping Forest District Council (Letters, March 13 edition).

I am in agreement with some of the points and with other concerns raised by the action group in the past regarding some golf-related developments. However, I would like to clarify two points raised in the letter regarding the development works at North Weald Golf Club, namely inconvenience to North Weald residents caused by vehicles and repeat planning applications for importation of inert material to the site.

Under a section 106 agreement I have with the council, HGVs approaching and leaving the site must use the Hastingwood roundabout at junction 7 of the M11 and not roads in North Weald.

All drivers are informed of this condition and receive one warning followed by a ban should they fail to comply.

I have taken such action with one driver and will act if local residents inform me of any additional non-compliance.

The residents of North Weald are my customer base, so I do not intend to impact the future success of my business by permitting such inconvenience to them.

Regarding the repeat planning applications, there is a reasonable explanation for this. The district council was not prepared, at the outset to consider the full extent of the development works I wished to carry out, due to their experience with other golf-related developments, until they were satisfied with our operational methods and, in particular, any reactions from local residents.

Following a visit by the council's landscape officer, Mr Neilan, I will be submitting a final application later this month which will allow us to import material to landscape a few final areas with the guidance of both Mr Neilan and his colleague, Mr Hewitt, Countrycare manager.

However, I can confirm that all works will be completed by the end of 2008, subject to the speed of the planning approval, as we are already planning our re-launch of the improved golfing facilities for the 2009 season.

While I realise the word "waste" tends to raise unsavoury thoughts, I firmly believe the use of the correct type of waste for leisure developments is a positive and sensible approach to recycling if managed in the right way by the right people/organisations.

I work in partnership with civil engineering and environmental contractor S. Walsh & Sons Ltd which has operated for 35 years in the south east. They comply fully with the Environment Agency's regulatory guidance note 2 regarding waste acceptance, which results in only "clean " waste or primarily clay being delivered to my site.

If anything untoward slips through (which has happened on two occasions), my site staff move the material to one side and S Walsh is able to track down the producer for them to remove the material.

Andrew Lloyd-Skinner, director, North Weald Golf Club.