Sir - Further to the excellent letters from Maurice Herson (September 7) and David Nash (September 14), it is not just in the city that gardens are used as car parks - village gardens are also under threat.

I have a small Cotswold stone period cottage in Stonesfield. It has a pretty little front garden, edged with a dry stone wall (no land at the back). When I bought the property early last year, I was surprised to be told that there was planning permission in place to demolish part of the wall so that the land could be paved and used for car parking. If I did this, I was told, it would enhance the value of the cottage.

I have absolutely no intention of doing anything of the kind. Idealistic I may be, but I refuse to sacrifice my flowering crab-apple trees, my roses, raspberries, honeysuckle, lilac, japonica, my newly-planted Bramley apple tree, my grass plot with small pond, my bird table, all on the altar of Mammon and the god-almighty car.

Not only would this be vandalism but, living part way up a hill as I do, it could well lead to flooding further down. My neighbours needn't worry: I shall do no such thing.

Still, there ought to be prizes for preserving gardens and not annihilating them. Any suggestions as to who would give them?

June Osborne, Stonesfield