I wish to take Cllr Mike Greene to task for stating that the proposals for Vine Cottage by my wife and I would have been an eyesore (Town hall blocks bid, H&H January 31). As you correctly stated, the Gayton Residents Association and neighbours are furio

I wish to take Cllr Mike Greene to task for stating that the proposals for Vine Cottage by my wife and I would have been an eyesore (Town hall blocks bid, H&H January 31).

As you correctly stated, the Gayton Residents Association and neighbours are furious with councillors for not calling in this particular application after it was cast aside by faceless Camden 'conservation' employees without being even passed for consideration to the elected planning committee. All that is being 'conserved' is a complete eyesore.

The Camden planning case officer, Mr Carlos Martin, called our plans 'beautiful' but later explained that if Conservation object, the plans are automatically refused without any reference to the elected councillors.

That is why I contacted Cllr Greene to ask for his help in calling in the plans to his committee. Even my 80-year-old immediate next door neighbour at Vine Cottage, Mrs Smith, supported our proposals for a modest four-bedroom house.

The huge modern property which Camden recently gave approval for, which has since been built directly behind Vine Cottage, just shows the gross hypocrisy of the situation.

It is all academic now as my wife and I have committed to selling Vine Cottage at a loss. We are only sorry for the residents of Gayton Road, the GRA and the people from the Hampstead Conservation Society whom we had the pleasure of meeting and who deserve a far more caring and competent councillor.

In the face of such arrogance and stupidity from Cllr Greene and Camden, my wife and I have washed our hands of Vine Cottage and instead intend to buy a house which is already built, also in Gayton Road, and then vote against him as we would not wish to be represented by him nor, I suspect, do many others.

The proposal sent in by my wife and I was far smaller in height, in bulk and in footprint than previous applications. So what is Mr Greene talking about?

Barry McKay

Gayton Road, NW3