Incredibly Cllr Pritchard, who speaks on behalf of the local authority, still does not see why Somer plans for Longacre/Caroline house are bad news for the local community. Despite 300 people objecting the plans and a new petition underway he still refuses to see in Somer proposals anything else than a simple planning issue. See below correspondence:
| Councillor Vic Pritchard |
| 28th May 2008 |
Thank you for your letter submitted to the recent Council meeting concerning the proposed Longacre Road development. As the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Social Services & Housing I would like to make the following response.
Yours sincerely
Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Housing
From: Amy Lunt [mailto:[address deleted] ]
Sent: 30 April 2008 14:47
To: vic_pritchard@bathnes.gov.uk
Cc: [Addresses deleted]
Subject: Longacre development - the impact on Thomas Street
Dear Councillor Pritchard
I thought you might be interested to know about the impact of the proposed Longacre development on householders on Thomas Street. Perhaps our experience will go some way towards convincing you that this plan is flawed in every respect.
My husband and I live at 2 Thomas Street and our rear wall is the boundary with the garden of Caroline House. We love living on Thomas Street, but having recently had a baby, we decided to move to somewhere with a garden. We were fortunate to find somewhere quickly and to find a buyer for our house. All was going well until our buyer looked at the plans for the development and decided that the risk was too great - just before we were due to exchange, they have pulled out of the purchase.
Before you jump to conclusions, they do not have a problem with the type of facility being proposed. They, like us, are positive about living in a mixed community and like this part of Bath because it is one of the few areas that has some diversity. Their objection, unsurprisingly, is Somer Housing's proposal to build an enormous extension just yards from our back windows.
Those of us who have moved to this area in the last few years have shown a commitment to this community, investing in improving our homes and showing a belief that this part of Bath can be a great place to live for everyone. By even giving discussion time to Somer Housing's proposals, the council is only showing a commitment to exhorting the maximum amount of money out of every possible square
inch of green space. I would have thought that the very fact that Somer need to build such a large building on this site to fulfill their needs suggests that actually, this site is not the right location for such a facility. And if that doesn't provide enough reason to question these plans, the experts who understand this community and the needs of its different groups do not think that this location is the right place for housing vulnerable families and that such a development could just cause more problems.
I know that you don't live in this area, or even in Bath, so perhaps it is difficult for you to understand fully the objections of those of us who do. But I urge you most strongly to think about the impact that these proposals are having on us now, and, if the scheme goes ahead, how it will affect all local residents in the future, and how you plan to compensate those of us whose lives will be blighted by this money-grabbing plan. At the very least, I hope that you and Somer Housing will have the courtesy and respect to make a swift decision on these proposals so that those of us who are most affected can plan accordingly.
Regards
Dr Amy Lunt
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View an aerial photo of the site and the proposed building/extension
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