Hi everyone, just thought I'd bring this to your attention. But for luck or
the grace of God many of us could be in Headley Court. It seems the inhabitants
of Surrey don't think much of injured soldiers - quote"lowering
the tone of their area". So please get onto the Government site and vote
for this to go ahead. SSAFA are buying a house close to Headley Court
so that the relatives of the wounded and injured servicemen and women being
treated there will have somewhere to stay, making it easier to visit and
support them through their recovery. Unfortunately, around 100 local
residents have submitted strong objections (See Daily Mail excerpt below).
The planning application can be read at www.molevalley.gov.uk as can the ludicrous objections
submitted by some local residents - please take the time to write your own
Letter of Representation, there may well be a time when you or a loved one
needs to use Headley Court.
From the Daily Mail:
The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, which has applied
to the local council to to make some alterations at the property, including
installing a wheelchair ramp, had been hoping for no objections. After all,
Headley Court had been part of the area for more than 60 years. But resi
dents apparently do mind. They have flooded the council with almost 100
letters of protest, raising every conceivable objection to the new property
being used to house families visiting soldiers. They claimed 'additional
noise' and 'huge amount of additional traffic' would ruin the peace of the
private lane and warned that the value of their multi-million-pound
properties would plummet. The families 'would not be welcome', they said, and
their arrival could 'destroy the character' of the area. One resident even
objected on security grounds, claiming the house could become a terrorist
target, while another suggested wheelchairs would present a fire hazard.
Planners at Mole Valley District Council will consider the case on August 1
but last night serving soldiers made their views clear.
One Army officer recently returned from Iraq told the Mail:
quote "They make me sick. It's just staggeringly selfish. Perhaps these
people would care to come out to the field hospital in Basra and tell some young
soldier having his leg amputated after a [bomb] attack exactly why his
family isn't worthy to rub shoulders with this bunch in their Surrey village.
Who do they think they are? Do they have the slightest clue about the
sacrifices-young soldiers make on their behalf every day? Shame on them"quote
TO SIGN PETITION GO TO
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Headley