Mansfield Bowling Club site in Croftdown Road

• YOUR report on the proposed development of the former Mansfield Bowling Club site shows the typical developer’s mindset: “20 homes here would make a lot of sense… but we do not feel it would be economically viable to offer social housing too”, (Former bowling club site sold to luxury developers for £7 million, August 27).

I’ve followed this saga over many years and my understanding when it was finally sold was that the site would be partially developed as council or social housing and partially as a replacement tennis court.

Now we learn the truth. Yet more luxury flats for those who can afford it – the needy can go to hell.

I hope that the council will for once use its planning powers to insist on social housing as part if not all of the site. Even the dreadful Tory government claims it is aware of and concerned about the housing need, but they only think in terms of buyers not renters.

More social and council housing is needed yet its latest proposals for planning law changes do the exact opposite in taking power away from councils while hypocritically claiming that there will be more local involvement.

Maybe so but they won’t have the power to refuse unsuitable or unwanted luxury housing which is an insult to those in need. The almost total opposition to the planning law changes shows the strength of national feeling about them and I only hope they get withdrawn.

JOHN STRATTON
Thurlow Road, NW3