A small success in Shirley!

Saved!

I really feel I achieved something today or at least helped stop something happening that would have been damaging where I lived.

Long-time readers of this blog will recall how I have been fighting the re-development of Shirley Post Office ( they want to pull down the 1920s single story building and replace it with a block of flats with a supermarket at the bottom).

I spoke at the planning meeting today as a member of the public and got a fair hearing. The Officer for the council was of course incredibly biased and totally in favour of the application. In his 10 minute presentation to the committee he managed to give the impression that the area was all retail (it is late Victorian residential) and managed not to even mention the s word once (supermarket...), his only concession that the structure would obscure natural light to the terrace houses at the rear of the proposed flats. I spoke pointing out the lack of parking, the size and scale of the development, the likely consequences with associated anti-social behaviour of 24 hour opening and all the rest and... won the day!

I was strongly supported by the Conservatives and the Lib-Dems and even the Labour Chairman voted against the proposal leaving just one Labour Councillor Sue Blatchford to support the proposal.

What a result!