The problem of water supply in Tiptree, commented on by Robert Long in last week’s Standard letters page (January 27), is symptomatic of a fundamental problem of infrastructure provision.

There seems to be a general presumption that infrastructure will be provided to meet the requirements of developments that are given planning permission with scant regard to the existing state of affairs (not the planners’ fault).

This applies to sewerage, electricity supply, health and education services and to highway capacity, as well as water supply.

We are bluffed into accepting that cash contributions by developer will fund the infrastructure, but there are fundamental flaws in this notion.

First, the scale of the contribution from developers is nowhere near enough.

It is made after the event, even though the need for the infrastructure is obvious at the outset, and there is always the need for substantial finance from the relevant public authorities or utilities.

Secondly, there is no mechanism for coordinating the plans of those bodies or to give any impulse to the overall plan.

Each has its own decision-making process in its own silo, and they can all plead that there is a lack of funds from central government.

What an indictment of our system of public administration and governance!

Christopher Swain

Mermaid Way, Maldon