Time to shout even louder

As a recent arrival in Jericho (2005), I stand to be corrected on almost everything I say, but it seems to me that in this area even in this short time, amenities are disappearing which we can ill afford to lose. No-one seems to be listening to the residents. The boatyard, pubs, garage, refuse collections – all are examples from the last 12 months the loss of which diminishes Jericho as a whole. This may be because the residents don’t shout loud enough, but it also seems to be that any chance to change a building from commercial or light industrial use to residential, must be grabbed at all costs, and hang the community. The most recent amenity to be lost has been Autoworks on Wellington Street, run by Martin and providing a really useful service to the neighbourhood both as a mechanic and fund of local knowledge. I had thought there was an obligation on the landlord to find a similar tenant to retain jobs and services and keep the area vibrant, but no attempt was made and it appears that meetings regarding the change of use were being held long before the property was sold. The notification of the planning application was also handled in a careless way. Few local people knew what was happening and the notice was attached to the wrong property altogether. Fortunately, the officers have now seen sense and are recommending refusal of the application. The reasons are: the scale and appearance of the proposed building and its impact on the character of the area; the lack of amenity space for the residential units; and the adverse impact on the adjoining house at No 30 Wellington Street.