SIR – In response to Alison Parsons letter on how Radlett council has set a precedent regarding the Greedy garden grabbers (Herts Advertiser, February 4) and the granting of planning permission to build a three-bedroom detached house in a garden of Mo

SIR - In response to Alison Parsons' letter on how Radlett council has set a precedent' regarding the 'Greedy garden grabbers' (Herts Advertiser, February 4) and the granting of planning permission to build a three-bedroom detached house in a garden of Mornington Road, Radlett, this appears to be yet another case of shameful councillors and planners allowing developers to do just exactly what they please with no thought for the wishes of, or the effect on, the local community.

I am sure that Mr Wiggs, the Radlett builder responsible for many of the houses on the Aldenham Lodge estate, like those in Mornington Road with their adequate gardens would be appalled. He could never have envisaged the rapacious systematic rape of these green oases, as a result of flawed and ridiculous planning decisions, on the scale that has become the norm in Radlett today.

There has been a steady decline in the number of perfectly good bungalows in Radlett, which would have been ideal for senior citizen retirement homes, because they have been destroyed to make way for much larger dwellings and castles.

Numerous new blocks of expensive flats are being built ad nauseum, despite the fact that Radlett's infrastructure has been severely damaged by the closure of our police station and most recently our fire station, opposed by every resident, which our community lost after a lengthy battle with Herts County Council and as a result of the worst piece of maladministration in 100 years.

It is interesting to note that some councils, recently St Albans, are standing by their green credentials in turning down planning applications of this sort. It is a pity that Hertsmere Borough Council did not listen to the concerns of Aldenham Parish Council and The Green Belt Society and put a stop to this gross over-development immediately.

I was born in Radlett and have lived here for 84 years and have seen our self-sufficient, friendly community slowly torn apart by planners allowing a steady stream of eating houses, takeaways and hair stylists and beauty salons, to take the place of shops that once provided us with the necessities of life.

JOAN OAKES-MONGER

Park Road, Radlett