Bit Of A Misleading Headline…

How 'cherished' are they? Well...

Mrs Cowdrey said: “This is a real area of concern for our residents. Both sites are public spaces which should be used for public benefit. The local residents association believe they should be put back to public use. Particularly the old Hinguar school playing field which has been locked for many years and we have been trying to get more information about the covenant placed on this land.”

Hmmm. 

Maybe The 'NIMBYs' Have A Point..?

Residents have branded a decision to green-light plans for a 78-home estate “ridiculous” - amid fears Herne Bay will be flooded with new developments.

Authority officials say the scheme “would not have an adverse impact on the living conditions of neighbouring properties”. But local Billie Moore is concerned the town’s infrastructure will be put under strain by it and the 1,000 other homes earmarked for land nearby.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said.“Herne Bay has grown a lot already, but there are no more schools, doctors, dentists.” Labelling the decision shocking, resident Nicky Biggs predicts “we do not have the infrastructure to cope with these additional houses”.

The same situation is replicated everywhere - houses and flats crammed onto every available space, and no uplift in the infrastructure needed to support such a massive influx...

And it shows no sign of stopping: 

Stonebond also wants to build 160 properties on a 14-acre field called Northwood, while 572 will eventually be erected on Redrow’s former golf course development. And 800 more will be sited at Strode Farm.

How can this possibly be sustainable? What's the point in continual housebuilding with no thought to what will sustain this population growth? Has no-one ever played 'Sim City'? 

Bosses from Stonebond insist they are “meeting the authority’s expectations” on contributions to infrastructure in the wider area. And city council officers stress Kent County Council has requested “financial contributions towards secondary education, community learning, youth service, libraries and social care” in the town.

'Financial contributions' won't make schools and hospitals bigger and able to cope with demand, will they? What does the council say? 

Responding to concerns surrounding the project, a spokesman for Stonebond said: “We engaged with local stakeholders and the community throughout the planning process, addressing specific concerns they had,” a spokesman said. “As a result of those conversations, we’re improving the existing pedestrian walking route along Bullockstone Road.

“Additionally, sustainable drainage measures will be used to mitigate any potential increase of flood risk.”

*sighs* 

Blimey, They Must Be Using Punt Guns!

Hundreds of people have signed a petition to stop a clay pigeon shoot saying it would mean neighbours being forced to put up with the 'sound of a jet engine taking off around 20 times a day'.

Good lord! That must be an error, surely? 

Ruth Galloway has launched a petition calling for the Forest of Dean District Council to reject the plans put forward by Tom Shayle, who says Covid-19 restrictions mean people are looking for outdoor hobbies.

She says as well as making life miserable for local residents, the gunshots will disturb wildlife and spook horses, walkers and cyclists using the Newent Loop and other popular country routes,

"The noise of one shotgun being fired is 120-150 decibels, the same as a jet engine taking off at 100ft, this application seeks to have up to 20 of these for 10 hours a day," she says.

Ah, I suspect this is true only for the people standing right next to it (which is why they wear ear defenders) and not for Tamara Chumley-Warner out hacking on her pony 800 yards away... 

Within days of being launched 774 people had signed the petition objecting to plans to create an outdoor shooting and archery centre at Mount Oliver’s Meadow, Blackwells End, Hartpury.

I bet you'd get more signing a petition to repair the clock tower... 

...objectors also claim increasing use it could have international repercussions, because the field is across the road from the National Perry Pear Centre. The centre is responsible for making sure rare varieties of the fruit once found in abundance across the county do not become extinct.

What are they worried about, stray shot hitting the pears? 

You Keep Using That Word 'Unfounded'...

...I don't think it means what you think it means!

Plans have been approved for “urgently needed” accommodation for homeless people.

Castle Point Council approved the plans to build the home on land off Hatley Gardens, Benfleet, at the recent development control committee.

The multi-accommodation home would contain nine flats, and be used for short term accommodation for people who would otherwise be homeless or in bed-and-breakfast accommodation paid for by the council.

Neighbours can't be happy!

A host of concerns were raised by residents to the plans, mainly focussing on fears over a rise in crime and antisocial behaviour.

Well, quite! What does the council have to say?

In relation to those concerns, planning officers said: “Concern over crime and antisocial behaviour are based on unfounded assumptions about the behaviour of the future occupants of the building.”

Residents also raised issue with a loss of parking, but the development proposes one parking space for each unit plus a further space which for use by the on-site member of staff, which meets the council’s standards.

It's not like the council has to trawl back years to find instances where their expectations for a site of this nature haven't borne fruit, either! So the planning officers choice of words is an odd one.

Except when you factor in that they won't be living near this place themselves, that is...

Make Up Your Minds! Part 2864785

Sharon Chapman, one of the residents who has organised the petition, said she was concerned that the council would eventually be creating a 'mini forest'.

Aren't people usually happy about this?

She said: "It is mad. It is meant to be an open space for children to play and for dogs to run and they are just going to plant some trees instead.

"It won't be like a park anymore."

Errr, well, actually, yes it will. One expects parks to have trees. Otherwise, they are just fields!

"Many of us bought houses with a view of the park and the lakes, and this is a mental amount of trees for such a small area.

"It will put people of (sic) that part of the park. People won't want to wander past the trees and the bushes at the night time. It just doesn't seem right."

Ah, I see! It's property values that are the concern!

A spokeswoman for the council said: "The new native species being planted, which include Field Maple, Common Crab apple, Mountain Ash and Bird Cherry, are of the ‘small garden variety’. They are being planted to replace a collection of Poplars which previously stood at around 28m high.

"The young whips are currently unbranched stems, which measure no more than one metre tall and will take in excess of 10 years to reach full maturity. Even then the trees are not expected to grow larger than 8m in height due to the nature of the heavy clay soil at Danson Park."

Wait, you're planting trees where the conditions aren't ideal?

The council also said that not all the trees will survive, with an expected failure rate of 40 per cent in the first two years.

Hmm, seems like the waste of taxpayer money should be the real concern here, doesn't it?

It's Called A Fait Accompli....

Chaucer House, in Chestnut Grove, Southend, has been converted from a women’s refuge to general accommodation for the borough’s homeless. However, some residents in the area have voiced concerns.

Which they would have voiced a lot sooner, if they'd only had the chance to do so.

They are upset they were not consulted and claim the new facility is attracting antisocial behaviour, excessive rubbish and parking problems.

Given the issues they cause in the high street, it's hardly surprising!

Traci Dixon, group manager for Support Services at South Essex Homes, said: “We have arranged a meeting to discuss these issues.

Why didn't you arrange one to discuss the conversion? Because you knew the rough ride you'd get!

“We will also use this opportunity to reassure the community that, while we feel there is no need for concern or alarm, any antisocial behaviour reported to us will be investigated and managed appropriately.

“Alongside these general concerns, issues around car parking and rubbish at Chaucer House have also been raised by residents which we are looking to resolve very soon.

“We would encourage local residents to attend this meeting - being held on Tuesday, November 28 at 7pm in the Civic Centre - to discuss any issues they may have.”

The usual do-gooders infest the comments to accuse the residents of NIMBY behaviour, but they didn't object to the women's refuge, as pointed out in a comment rebuttal:

I wonder where Traci Dixon lives..?

Scale...

A report published by SK Architects, based in London Road, Westcliff, which is leading the developement, reads: “The single house has an excessive and uncharacteristic setting and open space in an otherwise semi urban/sub urban context of this part of Leigh.”

Translation: "We can get several rabbit hutch properties suitable for the lower classes on this one plot! And what do they need space for, anyway?"

The plans hope to “create a small unique development of simple and slightly decorative family homes to mediate and respond to the varying context and domestic scale of Underwood Square.”

I like that 'slightly decorative' description! Not often architects slip up like that, is it?

Southend Council will have the final say on the application.

I bet it passes.

Today’s Hyperbole Alert…

Mr Phillips told News Shopper he is worried the notices, erected by housing association London and Quadrant (L&Q), could devalue the house prices in the road.

 One for Mark there..!

The IT consultant and musician said: "It’s just like Nazi Germany.

 Ummm....wtf?

"They are very ugly signs and we are worried about properties being devalued.

"Someone tried to take one of the signs down in the dead of night but wasn’t able to because they couldn’t get the screws out.

It'd take a heart of stone, wouldn't it?

"These guys are cowboys. It's litter - just rubbish nailed to a telegraph pole. "L&Q have no resource legally and it just looks wrong."

'No recourse', I think that should have been. Amazingly enough, he's actually right about that...

An L&Q spokesman admitted the signs were not legally enforceable.

There's just so much stupid in this story, it's hard to know where to begin...

Maybe They Don’t Like Garage Coffee, Councillor?

Coun Barrie Yates, vice-chairman of Samlesbury Parish Council, who also represents the area at borough and county council level, said he was against the proposal.

…

“This will be of no benefit to the local community or anyone else because there are coffee facilities at the garage near the motorway.”

No benefit at all? Are you sure?

If approved at the council meeting on Wednesday, four full-time and eight part-time jobs will be created.

I guess you've got full employment in your area, Barrie…

Not In Our Back Yard!

Concerned residents are calling for police action after seeing two teenage boys throwing stones at a young disabled man.

And they say incidents like this are damaging Stow-on- the-Wold's reputation.

Nice set of priorities they have there!

So, whose doing this in such a nice place as Stow-in-the-Wold?

Speaking at a town council meeting, one schoolteacher, who asked not to be named, said the teenagers were from "problem" families and asked the police to intervene.

Ah. The penny drops...

He said: "I'm going to choose my words very carefully.

"If these troublesome families exist, is there anything that can be done to stop this anti-social behaviour?

For the sake of the 'vulnerable', you mean?

Oh...

"It's extremely bad for people going to The Bell and for the tourists – we have thousands of people coming down there."

So I suppose he’d be happier if it just happened out of sight of the tourists?

Are the police on the case? Well…

Stow Sergeant Martin Jones confirmed one of the boys in the incident was from a well-known Stow family. He said: "I've processed a file in relation to the said family."

Ooooooh, have a seat, Martin. You must be exhausted after that effort.

Inspector Brian Clifford added: "The vulnerable individual has had issues with bullying by local youths.

"The children involved have been spoken to and we take these incidents, particularly against vulnerable individuals, very seriously.

"But incidents are shocking because they're few and far between.

"Stow is not a hotbed of criminal activity – crime fell by just under eight per cent last year, on top of an eight per cent drop the year before, and six per cent the year before that."

Well. Of course. Keep it in perspective, folks!

While Cameron Is Considering Relaxing Planning Rules…

…perhaps he needs to consider safeguards against a smaller adversary? Because it’s not just the Green Belt that (some) people have problems with…

The 11-year-old girls from St Christopher’s School, Hampstead, protested to stop developers demolishing a Seventies two-bedroom bungalow and replacing it with a three-bedroom house, with a swimming pool, gym and sunken courtyard. The nearby Marie Curie Hospice also wrote to the council about its fears for the effect on its cancer patients.

The girls said they were concerned that dust and noise from the building work would interrupt their science lessons because their laboratory block is just a metre away from the proposed building site.

And they won! Gosh! How on earth did they manage that?

And they recruited the help of one parent, a leading international lawyer. Fiona Parkin QC, specialises in advising multi-national companies, governments and public bodies.

Ah. That’ll be the thing that swung it, I guess.

She said: “Any replacement building should enhance the conservation area to a greater extent than the existing building. That is the test that has to be applied.”

Another parent, Jackie Orlick, said she was delighted the girls’ protests had persuaded the council to turn down the plan.

She said: “This was the only way the girls could make their voices heard. We are always being told about young people being disengaged from the political process, so it was great that they came here [the town hall] and engaged with what is going on in their community and had their say.”

And what sort of ‘say’ did they have? Was it really totally voluntary, and unprompted by their teachers?

Nearly 100 primary children convinced planners to turn down the scheme after they stood outside Camden town hall chanting: “Education, not excavation.”

Goodness me! I really hope that was in their lunch break, or after school hours. Or at the weekend…

Local councillor Chris Knight said: “I’m absolutely delighted for the children. It has given them an insight into local politics.”

It’s certainly given them an insight into the way the world works, yes…

NIMBYs? Or Just Don Quixotes?

Nearly 200 angry residents turned out last night to voice their objections to hundreds of homes being built on the Frenchay Hospital site.

One of the residents said it would create a carbuncle on the face of one of the prettiest villages in the country.

Ex-hospital sites proved very popular in Barking and Dagenham and neighbouring boroughs, so no doubt the residents can look forward to the inevitable population boom, frantic school-building and increasing ‘diversity’ in a few years time…

Winterbourne parish councillor Carol Thorne said the consultants working for the health trust had the sole aim of maximising profits by winning approval for as many homes as they could on the 70-acre site.

Another parish councillor, Eurof Lewis, said the issue of traffic had been ignored in the planning document.

"We are already at logjam in the village as it is – building new homes is not going to make it any easier," he said.

Indeed, but the infrastructure to support the increase in population is always an afterthought, isn’t it?

In fact, it’s glossed over as glibly as the question of why we should be welcoming a population boom in the first place..

Winterbourne parish councillors called the meeting to gather views about the future of the Frenchay Hospital site. Residents were urged to send in their views to South Gloucestershire Council by September 14.

After their comments have been collated, then the council will draw up a planning blueprint for the site which will give guidelines to developers on what they are likely to win planning permission for.

And it’s no doubt be a formality, a box-ticking exercise, like all the others.

So, They Aren’t All Treehuggers In Brighton & Hove?

… residents in Old School Place, Hove, want to say goodbye to these 80-foot trees claiming they blight their everyday lives. Despite attempts to cut them back, householders who live in the shadow of the giant perennials say they have their hands tied as they are protected.

In Hove!? Shock!

Richard Frost, of Old School Place, said: “It’s just reached a ridiculous state of affairs. “They were not this big five years ago when we moved in. ”

Trees grow..?!? Who knew?!

Locals claim the trees block out light from their homes while one added he could not dig in his garden as there were too many roots. They are also worried the roots are growing under their homes and will cause subsidence.

Another said that falling leaves caused drains and gutters to block with others saying the smallest amount of wind caused a lot of noise as the branches waved about.

Oh, the humanity!

There are some handy hints for people who want to be rid of unwelcome trees in the comments. There’s also some indication that people are getting rather fed up with this sort of thing, too:

John Fallon says... Oh, for goodness' sake, pop along to the council's website, download a tree work form, fill it in and send it off. Once permission has been granted, get a qualified tree surgeon to coppice the things in the autumn. Job done. Repeat every three years or so. If you want an even easier life, get the tree surgeon to fill in the form. Just get on with and stop expecting other people to solve your relatively minor problems.

Quite!

Whit(ie) Flight…

As a journalist, I’d devoted years to infiltrating London’s violent teenage gangs, and filmed two TV documentaries on the subject. Slowly gaining their confidence, I got close to several of the hardest gang members, entering drug dealer-controlled ‘no-go’ zones where even the police wouldn’t venture.

I’d wanted to understand what triggered their anti-social behaviour and to help them articulate their feelings without resorting to violence.

Well, that sounds very progressive of you, sweetie. Tell me something, though? How do you feel about them now?

We’d just left our local newsagent’s, magazine firmly in my little son’s hand, when we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a 12-strong gang of hooded youths who were chasing a girl who looked no older than 14.

One grabbed her and started battering her with an umbrella, but she managed to get away. Then the youths gave chase, throwing bottles and shouting obscenities. It looked as though they meant to kill her.

As members of a rival gang appeared from nowhere, bottles rained down all around us. When one ricocheted off the pram canopy — waking my one-year-old with a start — I froze.

Gosh, how awful! Someone needs to try to understand these ‘youths’, clearly…

Grabbing my sons and frantically pushing the pram with one hand, I rushed to get them home as quickly as possible. Then to my horror, Zach broke free of my grip and blindly ran back into what was now a full-on turf war.

He’d dropped his magazine, which had been trampled underfoot, its pages scattered across the pavement. Oblivious to the mayhem, he attempted to gather it up as tears rolled down his cheeks. Terrified for him, I pulled the pram and my five-year-old back towards where Zach now stood rooted to the spot as more gang members came tearing up a side street.

I heard myself scream as a bottle skimmed Zach’s head, missing him by millimetres, glass smashing around his feet — later I found shards in his shoes. Then I did something I never thought I’d do: I ran, clutching my terrified children. In my panic, I lost control of the pram which swerved precariously and almost overturned twice.

So, any description of these ‘gang members’?

It was the wrong thing to do, of course. I’d drawn attention to my fleeing family, and a splinter group gave chase after us, calling out ‘get the whities’.

Ah. Thanks. That’ll do.

I called the police, but other than recalling the fear etched in the features of the young girl who was being hunted down like a dog — her repeated, helpless yells of ‘I don’t have it, I don’t have it’, echoing round my head — I realised that I was a useless witness.

I was unable to give a description of any one of the perpetrators.

Probably wise, in the circumstances. After all, they probably got a very good description of you...

Ironically, we moved to this area six years ago because it seemed safer than our previous address in West London where my husband was knocked unconscious and had his jaw shattered in a vicious, unprovoked assault by youths.

Ah, but that’s the thing, isn’t it? While you’ve got people who make a tidy living by excusing and understanding these feral youths, they are spreading. Why not? Who's to stop them?

There’s more and more of them every year, making it harder and harder to find ‘safe zones’:

But now it seems nowhere in our cities is immune to the gang rivalry spilling over from neighbouring districts.

It’s not just an isolated example either, is it?

Our street no longer feels safe — groups of hooded, spliff-smoking youths patrol the pavements as though they own them. Just weeks ago, when late for school pick-up, I challenged a group of teenagers to make way for my pram, asking them if they really expected me to push my child into the busy road.

They turned on me, becoming verbally abusive and threatening. Determined not to be a victim for a second time, I pushed my way through them. And then a bottle was thrown in my direction — it smashed into a parked car nearby.

Gosh. They need to be understood. Have you tried to gain their trust? Perhaps you can help them to articulate their feelings in a different way?

There is not a night that I don’t hear a siren close by.

More than once I have awoken to see the end of our road cordoned off by police after yet another gang-related crime.

And so….you’re doing what all the craven progressives do when the vibrant diversity gets a little too close to home; cut and run:

We’ve now decided to move out to the countryside, albeit close enough to the city so that the boys can still go to the same excellent schools. But thousands of other families don’t have that choice. I just hope the police crackdown will enable them to finally sleep soundly in their beds.

But you don’t really care if it doesn’t, do you?

After all, as you point out, having used these ‘youths’ to springboard your career, you can now afford to do a Billy Bragg and move somewhere less vibrant and diverse. The rest of us aren't so lucky.

And I don't expect I'll see any articles or films from you in the future, pointing out how these feral animals don't need to be understood, they need to be stamped on hard. You'll just forget it all, like some bad dream.

But you know what? These kids are your kids, in a way, every bit as much as little Zach, Mallick and Rocco, aren't they? You helped to create them, after all...

This Is A New One On Me

Residents in Mile End have said a resounding ‘no’ to new play equipment being built on their doorstep over fears it will be a magnet for yobs.

Well, that’s fair enough, surely? No-one would want yobs near their homes, would they? The noise, the damage, the lowering of the house value…

Wait. What?

At a public meeting in Colchester Rugby Club in Mill Road on Saturday morning, residents from Maximus Drive told councillors installing a play park in their street would effectively wipe thousands off the value of their homes.

Ah. I suspect these are Mark Wadsworth’s ‘Home-Ownerists’, rather than just people worried that yobs will spoil their evenings.
Commenters are on the money, though:

No! I am Spartacus says...

What kind of policing do we have in this country when we deprive kids of a play park because it may attract idiots.

Surely we should try to ensure they get punished to make it unattractive rather than take the nimby pimby way out.

You’d think so, wouldn’t you?

But maybe this is an unexpected consequence of those house information packs Labour thought it’d be such a great idea to get everyone to complete..?

New Traffic Sign Needed:NIMBY Ahead!

Residents are holding rush hour protests against commuters who clog their inner-city streets to avoid parking charges.

Those residents being, one has to assume, non-workers, since they’ve the time on their hands for this..?

Now they are holding morning and evening protests around Hulme Street to confront motorists as they pick up and drop off cars, asking them to park elsewhere.

Where do they suggest? Or don't they?

Maggie Sansam, a member of the residents association who lives on Humberstone Avenue, said: "We've been going out challenging people because we want to ask how they would like it if their neighbourhood was turned into a car park every day.

"These motorists are probably saving hundreds of pounds but it's at our expense and we think it's really unfair."

I’m a little unsure how exactly it’s ‘at your expense’, since these people are invariably paying the taxes to support your right to stay home and complain all day…

But motorists parking on the street were unimpressed.

Sue Franklin, a business development manager, commutes from Frodsham in Cheshire to Manchester every day.

She said: "It would cost me £9 a day to park in the city centre so I park here instead.

"I would hate it too if I lived here but it's the best solution for me."

And, since there’s no RPZ in effect, it’s perfectly legal.

Another motorist, who did not want to give his name, said: "I've paid my car tax so I'll park wherever I want.”

It’s hard not to disagree with him, isn’t it?

H/T: Curmudgeon

No, The World Does NOT Revolve Around Your Offspring…

A nursery has been told its children will have to spend more time indoors because it is breaking a planning rule designed to limit noise.

Fair enough. About time the kiddiewinks learnt boundaries and consequences.

Managers at Kings Castle Montessori in Saxonbury Road, Bournemouth, had been letting children play and study outdoors for much of the day – but did not notice they were breaking a condition placed on an earlier planning application.

And they’re supposed to be the adults, remember?

Caroline Hexter, acting manager of the nursery, said: “They’re not able to be learning outside when studies left, right and centre are saying how beneficial being outside is for children.

“We’re very upset about it. The children have a full and active curriculum inside but it’s nice to be able to give them the outside space as well where they learn so much more.”

Yes, I’m sure it is ‘nice’ but a) the weather will soon curtail that and b) the restrictions were put there for a reason.

The nursery had won council grants totalling almost £19,000 – including awards for outdoor equipment such as a canopy, water butts, play equipment and waterproofs.

If the application had been approved, the nursery would have been able to use the play area for two hours a day plus up to five hours’ supervised use of the garden for learning for up to 12 children.

And the reson for the restriction? Well, noise, of course:

Neighbour Michael Jinks started a petition against the planning application which attracted 16 signatures.

He said the nursery had already caused problems and that “two hours a day is plenty for children to be outside”.

Another neighbour whose home backs onto the nursery site claimed the playing was waking her in the mornings.

Now, here’s where the comments come into their own. Do you think they are full of support for the residents?

Reader, they are not:

eunoia6 says...

Appalling neighbours. Surely there is no lovelier sound than happy children laughing and playing?

I sincerely hope they win their appeal.

‘No lovelier sound’..?

Well, if you like it so much, I’m sure Mr Jinks would be happy to send you a recording…

fletch for manager says...

typical of the oap brigade got nothing better to do than moan and make everyone elses life a misery.. Hope the school is successful in the appeal..

No, he’s merely expecting the school to abide by the agreement they signed. Not to simply say ‘Ooops, we forgot!’ and then try to force amendments through.

We aren't tolerating that one with the Dale Farm mob, why should we tolerate it with an achingly-trendy middle class school?

John26 says...

This is such a shame as my kids go there. Mr Jinks shame on you do something better with your time. The school has been there for more than 12 years and you moved in knowing it was a nursery. Why don't you stay inside for 22hrs a day and we can let you out for two??

Yes, he did move in knowing it was a nursery, but also knowing the amount of time your little darlings had to run around screaming at the tops of their voices would be limited…

Outraged_of_Bournemouth says...

My children go there and have both been adversely affected by the selfish Mr Jinks. They now have to stay indoors nearly all day and come home desperate to go into our garden and run around. The sound of children happily playing is wonderful, and the children are very very happy there....or were, until Mr Nimby started complaining.

For the last time: the ‘sound of children playing’ may well be ‘wonderful’ to you. But it sounds like it's not so wonderful that you want them doing it in your vicinity, though you're quite happy for Mr Jinks to have to suffer it...

I do like the 'selfish' jibes that everyone falls back on, though. Is there anything more selfish than a doting parent oblivious to the fact that everyone else is the world doesn't owe them anything because they've managed to procreate?

It Can Be Done….

…stop a Righteous project in its tracks, that is:

Plans for a hostel have been withdrawn because a care company felt the girls living there wouldn’t have been given a chance by the local community.

Awwww, diddums!

More foot-stamping, lip-pouting nonsense from the thwarted livestock farmer director:

John Timbs, director of the care group, said: “This is such a shame. There was a misinterpretation of what it was going to be before we even got the keys for the property.

“There was a rumour going round it was going to be for ex-convicts when in reality it was for up to four girls, aged 16 to 17, living in a supported environment, with a member of staff to help them build up the skills to live independently.

“Four girls now aren’t going to get the opportunity to live there – it wouldn’t have been fair for them because everyone would have been looking out for them to slip up.”

And when they eventually did, it would be noticed, and you couldn’t brush it under the carpet, eh?

So unfair. Poor John.

Residents said the hostel would have been unsuitable for a quiet cul-de-sac.
Linda Martin, 58, of Great Berry Lane, said: “I’m glad because I don’t think it was right for this area. There are no transport links and there would have been nowhere for these people to go.

“There might have been more passing traffic and girls walking along the road at night.”

Accompanied by that 'passing traffic', no doubt…

Best NIMBY Excuse Evah!

Angry residents have started a campaign to stop a house being turned into a nursery because they fear it will attract paedophiles.

Wha..?

Mum-of-two Natalie Rooney, aged 30, said: “We think there will be traffic problems because of all the parents dropping off and picking up their children.
“We think there will be noise problems because the children will be playing outdoors.

OK. Yes, those are all valid concerns…

“We are also worried that paedophiles will be attracted to the area to be close to the nursery.”

Aaaaaand that one certainly isn’t!

Of course, these days, they are just as likely to be working in the nursery!