Published at 11:51, Saturday, 14 February 2009

I STILL can’t understand how someone’s background is relevant to planning rules. This man is not being persecuted because he was a soldier – no-one would have been given planning permission for this. H AVE you looked over the plans for the proposed building to get an idea of why the planning consent wasn’t given? No? Thought not. I very much doubt that Noel Edmonds took the time to look at the plans either. But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good story, eh? Without seeing the plans, how can you possibly denounce the decision? You say “we should not disregard anyone, at any age, the basic right of a home”. How are they denying him the right of a home? They are denying his family the right to erect another building in their grounds. They are free to build or buy a home elsewhere.

THE Leo’s Lot column, praising Gordon Brown for intervening to help disabled war hero Joe Townsend gain planning permission for a bungalow, certainly caused a stir.

Perhaps others should also be given special consideration for planning rules? Firemen? police? What if this man hadn’t been maimed while serving the country? what if he was one of many soldiers who are not injured? Surely they put their lives on the line to the same extent? It is not the council planning department’s job to provide recompense to injured soldiers. Planning permission is issued to a site, not an individual.

One can sell land, along with any relevant planning permissions, on to anyone else. What is relevant is the location and the proposed development, not who is planning on living there. The notion that special consideration should be given amounts to nothing more than emotional blackmail, further propagated by your article and, in particular, the inflammatory suggestion that Joe Townsend is being denied ‘the basic right of a home’ – which is clearly not the case. As for our PM - ‘well done’!? Don’t get me started...

Lionel Ritchie

I would hold back on your lavish praise of the PM, too. This was a PR dream for him.

Eddie Montage

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