Dorothy Dawson, of Belgrave Terrace,Teignmouth, writes:br>I write further to the Department for Communities and Local Government's announcement that we will have to start using green belt land to cope with housing demand.br>As a local artist and property owner, I am most concerned that housing development in the Teignmouth and Teign Valley area should be tastefully designed.br>After a lot of soul-searching, I have been forced to agree with Kevin McCloud (Grand Designs, Channel 4) that we will have to use green belt land.  However, I think that if the new estates were to be partly concealed by adopting (partially) underground solutions, this could be carried out without too much damage to the landscape.  br>I think that many Teignmouth residents will agree that there is a great danger of spoiling our idyllic environment if 'little boxes' are allowed to proliferate.br>Living in an underground house is very different from becoming a paleolithic cave-dweller (although my cousins are living in a cave house in Andalucia and they say it's brilliant). br>These days, underground houses have vast light-admitting front windows, light tubes and atriums to provide a lot more light than is available in many high rise flats. br>Digging your house into Mother Earth vastly reduces heat loss, and the roof can be landscaped to blend with the local vegetation, or provide the garden of your choice. br>I suggested to Teignbridge DC's forward planning department that they should at least consider this kind of solution, but they say that most people would not want to live underground.br>I don't think they have actually investigated this, and I wonder whether the public would prefer; a) a high rise flat ;b) a high density terrace house; c) a cramped, dark and claustrophobic modern house; or d) an intriguing designer solution carved out of a hillside?

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