Thread: The Nimbys of Ashtead - SSAFA WIN!

Folks

You may have seen this in the paper or on ARRSE.

ARRSE linky

In a nutshell, local residents object to SSAFA, that excellent charity, buying a house near Headly Court for the families of convalescing servicemen & women to stay in whilst they visit.

Until the facts are better established, can I suggest that the vitriol be not dripped. However, we may soon need a little help with a few letters from the OH's of soldiers, sailors and airmen.

I'll post here once the campaign starts in earnest, if it's thought that is the way ahead.

Those of you with high blood pressure had best not read some of the letters of objection to the proposal .....

Yeah i had a quick read of this on arrse earlier.
I tell you some people are just so petty and pathetic.

Red o' D , - excuse fingers. Dropped this into the main body to seed it , before the next merge to the sticky. Why do people never read stickies?



Sorry to come crashing in like this ladies, but I hope you're as concerned as we are about this.

Unfortunately, the Mail for a change has got it right.

The planning application can be found here http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=MO/2007/0863&theTabNo=3&backURL=<a>Search%20Results

Take a deep breath before reading the Letters of Reference.

The Army Rumour Service thread on this is here

http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/...c/t=72560.html . It's now up to 20 pages. As you can see, we've got firmly behind SSAFA on this important faciltiy , but we can always use more support.

As such , I'm asking that as many people as possible submit a Letter of Reference to the council, in support of SSAFA's application. If you can spread the word on the patches, and further afield, then so much the better.

We simply have to do our best to get this to succeed.

If anyone has any questions on how they can help , please PM me here, on Arrse or on this thread.

Many thanks

PartTimePongo
www.arrse.co.uk

Is there a template/standard letter of reference PTP that can be used?

Or an example of what you are looking for?

There are some copies of letters already submitted in the ARRSE thread.

However, there seems to be a feeling that the letters would ideally be polite and individually written, to help keep the moral high-ground.

This is going to sound mawkish in the extreme, but if any of you have ever had to visit DMRC Headley Court, a letter from you would be worth much. Apologies if that bit is in poor taste though .....

I have a friend who is due to go there Trous (to recover from injuries) does that count?

Of course.

When you go to visit, where will you stay? etc etc

Not too much of the emotional blackmail, but a little won't hurt I suspect.

Slightly edited post to include more information

For those of you, who haven't the time to read through 27 pages...

The original story is true, and the Mail aren't exaggerating, In fact if anything they have underplayed it.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/...70&expand=true

The planning application is here

http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=MO/2007/0863&theTabNo=3&backURL=<a%20href='wphappsearchres .displayResultsURL?ResultID=192439%26StartIndex=1% 26SortOrder=devdesc:a%26DispResultsAs=WPHAPPSEARCH RES%26BackURL='>Search%20Results

This is the address for submissions by e-mail

http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/swiftlg...D=MO/2007/0863

Or

Miss Lesley Westphal
planning @ molevalley.gov.uk

PLANNING APPLICATION REFERENCE: MO/2007/0863
(36 GRAYS LANE, ASHSTEAD, SURREY, KT21 1BU)


Remember, if you wish to maintain PERSEC , your address must be on a separate sheet and the rider "Not for publication" added. Which tells them to withold your address from public view.

Secondly, we are not going off templates on this, unlike Red Team. Speak from the heart.

Thirdly . Do not be abusive, or even refer to the objectors if you can help it.

Do not under any circumstances write directly to an objector

Many people in that area have NOT submitted objections. They may be undecided, we can win them over

We need your support, we need to do our best as the serving and ex-serving community to help SSAFA achieve this very commendable aim.

The Arrse thread is useful reference, as it exposes several other reasons why the objections may have been raised.

Once again, we need as many people as possible from our side, to write to the council in support of SSAFA.

MVC are posting letters of support within 2 minutes of being received in some cases.

I hope you can find the time to do so.

Thanks Red o'D et al

PTP

I would definately be willing to put pen to paper on this ( or fingers to keyboard if you will) but only one thing concerns me.

I notice at the top of the letters we can see, the person's name and address is clearly visable. Due to some of the more mong like members of arrse having little vendettas against myself and some others, I do not wish to give them my full name and address. I know these are annonomous sites, but it may not be hard for them to work out who is who.

To use the language of some of the resident Nimbys at Ashcroft, how does one get around this?


Edited to add: Gosh you lot type fast.Thanks for the solution to my wee problem PTP. Just read it after I submitted mine. Doh!

Doris, you can supply your address separately - where you would normally put your address on a letter, just write "Address supplied separately" and put a separate sheet of paper in the letter with your contact details on. Your name needs to be on the letter, but if you sign it they remove your signature before the letter is uploaded to the site so it can't be scanned.

done

Letter done and off to the post box

Done .... I'm disgusted with these people. Let's just hope they never need our boys and girls.

I would suggest finding out the Members who sit on the Planning Committee and write to them too. They are the ones who will ultimately make the decision and can go against policy if they deem fit. To get the Councillors on the Planning Committee on your side is the best way to go. You can normally find this information on the Council's website or by calling the Planning Office.

Planning Officers do have to take representations into consideration but they have to adhere to Local and National Planning Policy. An application can go to Committee recommended by the Officer for refusal but the Committee can go against that and approve. If the Committee refuse an application which adheres to the Policy then the applicants will have a very good grounds for appeal.

Also be aware that there is something called 'Access to Information' and also 'Freedom of Information' whereby anyone can request to see information on the file. This does not mean they get to see EVERYTHING but it is decided in the local office what is and is not included in access to or freedom of information. And also that anonymous letters of representation are less unlikely to be taken into consideration.

I can believe that people are being like this as I see the sort of letters received at our office!! 'Rich' people are the worst! But in this case, their objections are truly appalling. Heaven forbid that any member of their family may need this facility in the future.

The Mole Valley Planning Department have been very quick to start getting the lettrs of support onto their site, and thus into the files.

You can see them HERE but need to scroll over to the right-hand most columns to see the latest.

Any letter you send should really suggest that the traffic problem won't be as big as anyone suggests (see pages 43-44 of the ARRSE Thread for useful info on how this might be done ) and similar counters to the other objections.

Heaven forfend that one of your mates from the Patch will need to use this facility (Shameless heartstring twisting, begin!) but someone's wfie/mother/husband/son will, and they should not be expected to stay in a Portakabin as one objector suggested.

[/emotional blackmail]

Incidentally, could one of you who happens to be on the Forces WAG or similar sites please pass this information on? I know Elsie has already posted on the REME one.

Thanks as ever.

T

Right you horrible lot, lets get our heads together and start letter writing.

If you are stuck with what to say, there are numerous examples over on ARRSE, people are sticking their own efforts into the thread, so go have a read.

If its all a little confusing and your stuck, then PM, PTP, Trous or Dozy and say so BUT please, please, if you don't write another letter/email in support of something, then make this your last. (or me, but Im cack at letter writing, so NO Im not bloody posting my example)

Trous is correct and quite right to emotionally blackmail, this site being what it is and god forbid BUT one of you could end up with a loved one there, if NOTHING else, that should be your reason for letter writing it could affect YOU.

We are a support site - get supporting :wink:

Just one small letter from 100 of our members, is 100 more letters in support of this - you do have the power to make a difference!

I was outraged at those residents, you really ought to go and read some of their objections, if it wasnt so bloody serious, you would laugh!!

So, get fingers tapping......PLEEEEEEEEEASE! (I really shouldnt have to beg, but dammit Im prepared to) I would like to see at the very minimum another 20 'done' posts....

and to add: Let everyone know about it! Write your letter from the heart!

We need to at least get the same number of support as objections. If you have trouble getting onto the site try, try again.

Done, sent this linky on to my sister too who in turn showed it to our Dad he is 78 yrs old on sunday and is showing the early signs of dementia. Big sis says Dad was fired up and will be telling all at his OAP club tonight.

As Red says we are a support site so get supporting!!!

Sent letter yesterday Red and have posted this up elsewhere and already have another couple of people writing, every little helps

Thank you!

*stares at members list* Please don't make me send 1195 individual harrassing PM's.