Dear Rebekah Neville,

I sent the following letter to the Cherwell District Council on 1st December, 2008, but as it doesn't appear on the website I am not sure whether it was ever received.   I am therefore repeating it in this E Mail. 



Dear Sir/Madam,

re:  Planning Application - 08/02363/F - Side Extension To Birch Hill, Burdrop

Further to your letter of 24th November, I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed extension to Birch Hill.

Birch Hill is one of four bungalows in a small open plan cul de sac, and is situated almost immediately opposite my own bungalow.  The planned extension will block the outlook and light from the windows on that side of my property, particularly the kitchen window.

It is apparent that the proposed extension will come very near the driveway to the cul de sac (which, as already mentioned, is open plan), and will also tower over vehicles ascending the drive (the cul de sac is on a hill and Birch Hill is set up on a bank).  Already this year the residents have felled one silver birch tree in the area of the proposed extension - undoubtedly two other silver birches will be similarly uprooted, which will further destroy the character of this beautiful little cul de sac. 

In the application for planning the residents state that there are four parking spaces to the property.  Where are these four parking spaces?  The residents of Birch Hill consistently park two vehicles in what is the turning area of the cul de sac.  In addition the drive in front of the garage to Birch Hill is quite short and certainly does not accommodate four vehicles.  Birch Hill residents often have to park on their lawns because they have nowhere to park their own vehicles.

Even without this extension, the congestion of vehicles causes a great problem for visitors to my elderly and disabled parents (who live with me in Westways), and our visitors often have to reverse out of the cul de sac, which is dangerous.

Furthermore, the Birch Hill residents have recently converted an office in a building adjacent to the property into a separate living space for their daughter - hence my conviction that an additional extension will herald the arrival of other tenants and even more congestion.

It is essential that the next time I need to call the emergency services there is room for the ambulance to actually reach my property and indeed have room to manoeuvre and turn - there have been great difficulties in this respect in the past.

For all the above reasons I consider it absolutely imperative that this application be turned down.

Yours faithfully,

J.H. Stewart (Miss)
Westways,
Burdrop,
Nr. Banbury,
Oxon OX15 5RQ