THE new Johnson Matthey building is provoking severe criticism. When some of my family members worked aboard they sent me a newspaper cutting to illustrate a local condition that was mandatory for any planning approval of a new building. This required tha

THE new Johnson Matthey building is provoking severe criticism.

When some of my family members worked aboard they sent me a newspaper cutting to illustrate a local condition that was mandatory for any planning approval of a new building.

This required that the actual height of the proposed building be virtually illustrated in the site by scaffolding before any decision was made for approval or not.

This idea could be incorporated in planning law. Meanwhile, it would be quite easy for planners and architects to illustrate by a simple outline drawing the height of any proposed new building alongside the height of neighbouring buildings.

In the case of the Johnson Matthey site building that could have been shown in comparison to nearby houses in the area.

Such an inclusion on any plan would help not only residents to visualise the impact of a proposed building, but equally important help councillors also before they made important decisions affecting residents neighbouring any site.

HAZEL LORD

High Street

Bassingbourn