RAF housing improvement overdue (From Witney Gazette)

RAF housing improvement overdue

3:03pm Tuesday 4th March 2008 in Letters

Sir - It is nice to see councillor Ady Coomber carrying on where I left off. The issue of married quarters was last raised by me and others in the Witney Gazette in January last year.

It is nice, also, to hear that another area of semi-derelict RAF flats is to go. Many of the worst blocks have already been cleared, but there is still more to do.

I have called over the years in the local papers, on TV, and on the radio for the demolition and rebuilding of all of the REEMA construction houses, that have long since exceeded their life expectancy.

Other councillors at the time, particularly Harry Watts, were also involved in trying to secure a solution.

The demolition of the whole of the Northwood Crescent area was mooted years ago, and plans for 322 new homes were approved, I recall, by WODC as far back as 2002/3. The question that springs to mind, therefore, is why is it taking so long? The whole of Carterton Town Council, and all Carterton district councillors over the nine years I was a representative were either passively or actively supportive. Most WODC members of all parties were supportive. The district planners were supportive. The last three MPs are/were supportive. Little has happened. Are the Annington group of companies delaying the redevelopment to maximise their already massive profits? Annington Homes/Properties/ Develop ments/Finance bought the homes for a song, and got tens of acres of the recreational land and surrounds for free.

The land originally worth £200,000 per acre at the date of purchase is worth almost five times that, and yet many service families continue to live in poor accommodation, while a Japanese-funded company sits on the assets.

Paul Wesson, Carterton