I hope the 86 residents of a millionaires row who protested at having families of war-wounded soldiers in their midst are hanging their heads in shame. They disgracefully objected to a charity converting a £1.7 million house into a 'home from home' for families visiting injured servicemen and women at a nearby rehabilitation centre.
Residents of the upmarket Surrey neighbourhood complained that servicemen's families 'would not be welcome' would lower the value of their homes, increase traffic noise and ruin the tranquil area's 'community spirit'.
What sort of mean-spirited community attempts to reject our servicemen and women who return maimed from the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Every one of them deserves proper respect and full support of every community in Britain.
Fortunately, councillors at Mole Valley District Council rejected the protests and granted planning consent after a massive campaign supported by Defence Secretary Des Browne, head of the Armed Forces Sir Richard Dannett, veteran's campaigners...and 43,000 signatures on a Downing Street petition.
SSAFA - the well respected Soldiers, Sailors and Airmens Families Association can now press ahead with their plans to provide accommodation at the house for up to six families at a time.
It was a battle they had to win.
No comments:
Post a Comment