Consultation is meaningless if concerns raised by residents are not taken into consideration.

From York Road we wrote to the Council about our concerns for the Telephone House Development at the first application, again at the second application, and sat through a four-day Public Inquiry.

But regardless of the pending state of the Inquiry’s outcome, council officers slipped a policy into the Local Plan Review for the Telephone House which is now material consideration for building control purposes.
Unfortunately, Councillor Oliver-Smith, easily led by council officers, found it more important to "whip" the document through (including the Telephone House Policy) than taking into consideration comments and requests of residents.

The policy ridicules all our efforts of reasoning with officers and councillors as it imposes on a developer virtually the same scheme as the controversial Crest Homes/BT planning applications.

Apart from our MP Archie Norman, and the former chairman of the Western Area Planning Committee, Councillor Leonard Price nobody really listened to us, and, for that matter, to the 800 citizens of Tunbridge Wells who gave us their support.
Of course, we will write again, and again, and again, - lobby and canvas,so that our suggestions will get the attention of developers, architects, council officers and councillors, planning ministers and the Secretary of State alike.
And, maybe, those who one day have to sell property on this site will realise that it will be easier with true support from residents.

Barbara Clarke
York Road

This comment was published as letter to the editor in the Courier 08.06.01

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