Planning

Keith Nicholls of the Uplands, Nailsea, says he resents the Local Action Team's (LAT) 'comments' regarding Planning Application Conditions associated with extension building.

He says we should look on the 'bright side of life' and appreciate our 'lovely little town'.

We really do appreciate our town, Mr Nichols which is why we established a LAT five years ago.

There are lots of great organisations and people in Nailsea and I'm involved with a few of them myself - consider the wonderful Nailsea Music Festival last weekend, a real, credit to the town, the organisers and those adults and young people who took part. Consider Nailsea in Bloom and the Gold we won this year.

It's precisely because LAT does value all the good in our town that we want to protect and preserve the rights and the well-being of its residents so that it stays that way.

We don't want Nailsea to degrade to the point at least one other nearby town has. We are not against building extensions, but we don't see why residents living close by and the general public should have to put up with avoidable long term inconvenience and disruption during building.

Without proper control and supervision from the local authority we are going to see more and more inconvenience so it's more effective control we wish to encourage.

I have lived in Nailsea for 33 years, retired six years ago and have also seen many changes over the years. The town is not likely to grow outwards by much in the next few years so pressure to build within is more likely. Recent relaxation of planning regulations and fewer housing transactions will generate more extensions so we can look forward to more uncontrolled disruption unless improved regulation is implemented.

It may be fine and dandy in Uplands, Mr Nicholls but it's not that way everywhere in Nailsea and it could get worse. Incidentally, Councillor Tom Collinson has identified exactly the same problem in Backwell (Nailsea Times - 29 October)!

John Hunter - Nailsea Local Action Team