SIR — Many residents of Chilbolton Avenue (and Greenhill Road) tried, in vain, to prevent planning permission being given for the Linden Homes development at Bath Place, realising that it would lead to similar large developments along the tree lined Avenue.

We were not thwarted by people willing, for understandable, financial reasons to sell part of their back garden but by the Liberal Democrat members of the Planning Committee.

Despite some expressing concerns regarding the proposal, those Liberal Democrats eligible to vote, cast their vote for the proposal and with Labour support and the casting vote of the independent chairperson defeated the Conservative opposition. To accuse Roger Davey of hypocrisy many years later, when their parties were responsible for the granting of planning permission is the kind of cheap politics that we should not encourage or accept in Winchester.

We (the residents) subsequently worked with the City Planning Officers to produce the Local Area Design Statement for Chilbolton Avenue and it was one of ten areas featured in the area Neighbourhood Design Statement, hoping that these would help to ensure that further developments were appropriate to the character of the Avenue.

Next time you drive along the Avenue, gaze in wonder at buildings nicknamed ‘The Pink Bordello’, ‘The Custard Creams’ and ‘Cell Block H’ and ask yourself if the Planning Committees have done their job and remember which party was in charge at the time.

Michael Newby, Chilbolton Avenue, Winchester.