I write regarding Jayne McCoy’s letter (Your Say, October 2) – where she responds to  residents’ fears surrounding the conversion of Oakleigh – Benhill Avenue.

I am becoming quite mystified and wonder if someone could provide me with the correct answer as it seems that this planning application is flawed in many ways.

Councillor McCoy quite clearly states it will not be a hostel or homeless shelter, but will in fact be 43 self-contained flats.

So I am asking why is planning permission not being applied for correctly for self-contained flats? The planning application states that these are not self-contained flats, but are a hybrid and therefore come under the sui generis category (hostels being one such property fitting into this category).

I would also like to add that Gill Daw, in an open letter to the Benhill Residents’ Association, assured us this proposal was for hostel accommodation.

We have been promised transparency by senior members of the local council, this is clearly not the case.

The council cannot continue with these continuous discrepancies especially if the proposal goes ahead, it will affect the lives of so many residents of the Benhill area.

Please could someone supply the truth regarding Oakleigh – are these flats, hostels, a shelter – what?

PAULINE NATHAN

Benhill Avenue Resident

 



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