SIR, — I find it ironic to hear senior St Albans district councillors bemoaning the proposed influx of new houses into our area (Herts Advertiser, May 15). When the developers appealed against the refusal of planning permission to build new houses on King

SIR, - I find it ironic to hear senior St Albans district councillors bemoaning the proposed influx of new houses into our area (Herts Advertiser, May 15). When the developers appealed against the refusal of planning permission to build new houses on King Harry Lane playing fields, these same councillors allowed their planning officers to produce a list of Reasons for Refusal of permission which the developer could easily satisfy.

None of the strong reasons for refusal put forward by the residents such as those related to being next to a Conservation Area etc, were even included in the appeal document. The residents were left to fight on their own at their own massive expense and of course failed since the residents and their own council were not "singing from the same hymn sheet".

Let us hope that with the latest proposal for a massive 83,200 new houses proposed for this county alone, the council will support their residents to the end in fighting these proposals inch by inch.

BARRIE MORT,

Chairman, Verulam Residents' Association.