Your letters - May 14, 2010

Disgrace that convent could be concretedThe announcement of another outrageous planning application to provide 197 units of apartments and houses on the All Souls convent in Magdalen Road is just another example of the nibbling away of St Leonards distinctive sites with a blessing and support by Hastings Borough Council (HBC).

On viewing the planning details for the convent the developer's intention is to cram 66 units per hectare on a 2.80 hectare site of off the shelf "Legoland" styled town houses and apartment blocks ( up to seven storeys high) in linear rows. Twice the average recommended number of units per hectare.

Not without intending to demolish some of the fine old existing buildings just because they, unlike the chapel, are not listed and have no protection. This large development will be a large cuckoo sitting in a such a delicate nest.

HBC's planning department repeats its unbelievable lack of understanding yet again thinking, presumably, this is a clever location of "out of sight out of mind" behind those high walls of this quintessential site will go unnoticed.

Despite this being a designated a conservation area the same for the Archery Road, Burton St Leonards site proposal to pack in 168 units, does the word conservation have any connotation to this council at all?

There is a propensity and culture within the borough to allow a farrago of homes lacking quality in architectural design and spatial thought.