But whilst the Government wants to see more housing, it also wants to see it built in a properly planned manner and strategic way, and not just at any costs.

To quote from a Communities and Local Government letter, 'The changes in policy put in place through Planning Policy Statement 3 in November 2006 give local authorities more flexibility to shape new development according to the needs of their area and make decisions on what sort of new housing they need and where it should be located. Local authorities can treat residential land differently from any other kinds of brownfield land, and are able place restrictions on development of residential brownfield land through adopting local policies and plans.

'With local authorities identifying sites in their plans rather than relying upon speculative planning applications coming forward randomly, they will ensure local communities get the right kind of housing in the right place, at the right time, having regard to local needs. This includes providing the retention or re-establishment of biodiversity within residential environments.'

With this in mind, decisions of the Mansfield District Council Planning Committee at a meeting 12th June on planning applications for 'garden grabbing' developments to the rear of properties on Clipstone Road West are open to question.

Final voting by the planning committee resulted in the plans for building 9 dwellings to the rear of 163-181 Clipstone Road being approved 7 to 4 votes in favour whereas the development to the rear of 201-209 were rejected by10 to1 votes. The sites and problems are almost identical.

Recommendations by Mansfield District Council to approve the developer's plans were by no means 'balanced,' as claimed, and not consistent with PPS3.

The presentation by the Planning Officer of the recommendations to the Committee were heavily weighted in favour of the developers due mainly to the list of 'no objections' by the Environmental Health Manager, Severn Trent Water, Nottinghamshire Police, the Tree and Landscaping Officer, Nottingham Wildlife Trust and Nottinghamshire County Council in the 4th June '08 Recommendation Report. We can take this to mean, according to the planners recommendations, these prolific garden grabbing, moneymaking schemes to provide dubiously 'affordable' housing will have no effect upon the infrastructure, will not produce any added traffic hazards or accidents on Clipstone Road or in Forest Town Centre, will not cause overshadowing to Willow Avenue or adversely affect the green environment or wildlife and will be of general benefit to one and all.

The inmates seem to have taken over the asylum, the police are in hibernation, and our 'official' environment protectors have taken to wearing rose coloured spectacles.

These garden-grabbing developments are vehemently opposed by a majority of people in the area.

Petitions against the developments raised well over 300 signatures. Several meetings were organised to voice opinions and discuss and resist the proposals because of the serious traffic impact the additional staggered T-junctions will have on the Clipstone Road and Forest Town Centre together with many other adverse effects on the environment and infrastructure, again, seemingly, not in compliance with governmental directions contained in PPS3.

The residents' remonstrations had support from Alan Meale MP, District and County Councillors with Garibaldi and Newlands Tenants' and Residents' Association and Forest Town Community Council also lodging their objections; even this paper spoke out against garden grabbing.
NCC Highways, in September 07, refused repeated requests by petitioners and our MP to have a site meeting and 'feasibility study' as to the effect on matters of safety and the traffic chaos additional staggered T-junctions would cause.

'At the Planning Meeting the MDC Corporate Director confirmed that NCC Highways, in spite of repeated requests, were un-cooperative and would not attend planning meetings,' making their 'no objections' entry, to say the least, 'questionable'.

The traffic flow on Clipstone Road to and from Forest Town is already dangerously heavy, especially at school time and in commuter rush hours.
It becomes a problem when unelected public officials deign not to cooperate or meet the public in efforts to resolve important and contentious matters. As for the actual planning meeting. Thanks are due to Coun Beastall for his vote against and Coun Heather Henshaw made an impassioned speech of support on her parishioner's behalf. It is a matter of public record that two other Forest Town councillors, on the planning committee, voted for the development to the rear of 163-181.
These Forest Town councillors, cognisant of the general consensus and feelings of their constituents have some explaining to do. They may be entitled to disregard the wishes of the people whom they purport to represent but they are surely obligated to explain to their constituents how support for speculative developments will benefit local residents. Sadly, planning decisions cannot be reversed and once the houses are built we are left with the results of bad decisions almost ad infinitum.

There are many more appropriate sites for development throughout Mansfield without compacting existing communities.

Garden grabbing is aesthetically and morally wrong and must stop now, which begs the question, can we continue to trust Mansfield District Council with the future of the dwindling, precious urban 'green spaces' that remain?

A Local Community Planning Statement, prepared by local residents, might be a constructive way to address future proposals for building developments in and around the Forest Town and surrounding Newlands, Garibaldi and Clipstone areas.

The final piece of the equation is that local authorities and even speculators might give a thought to the effect 'garden grabbing' has on the quality of life and well being of the neighbouring residents who have invested a lifetime in their homes only to find them desecrated and devalued by these unnecessary projects.

JAMES PUGH,
Willow Avenue, Forest Town.

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