Residents of a small housing estate in Coventry must go back to court to keep their privacy after a housing association plan to appeal against the decision which refused their plan to demolish garages and replace them with houses. Whitefriars was refused permission in August to build three houses in Wyken.
At the time residents were delighted with the decision after they had fought for almost three years to stop the plan, which they feel would increase traffic, block out light and most importantly ruin their privacy. Whitefriars plan to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate which will consider whether to overturn the decision of Coventry City Council’s planning committee.
Ann Love, who has campaigned against the plan, said “I can’t believe it. Its four months since the decision was made and we’ve been given just three weeks to make representations. We thought it was over. We’re tired of fighting; I don’t think many of us have got much fight left in us. We’ve got to write to the Secretary of State with our grievances and send copies to the inspectorate in Bristol. We’re just so disappointed and disgusted with the way Whitefriars are continuing to try and push this through. The traffic in the close has actually increased since the decision was made in July.”
Whitefriars Housing is Coventry’s largest social landlord and has thousands of properties which are all protected with landlord insurance. They are also one of the country’s most successful post transfer social housing organisations. A spokesman for Whitefriars Housing said they were disappointed at the original decision which stopped them providing three new, three-bedroom homes, which would be offered at affordable rents to three families who are on low incomes. With a growing demand for affordable housing in the city, Whitefriars believe housing those in desperate need of shelter should be a priority.