It is a fact of life that new housing and other developments will cause a level of inconvenience to those living in its shadow.

Most reasonable minded people will on balance accept the changes even though the quality of their lives may be affected for a while. But when such developments become a nuisance and a gross intrusion into people's lives then it is time for action.

Three classic examples of this are revealed this week. Firstly there's the continuing nonsense over the Long Lee development. How much longer are people going to have to wait for this issue to be resolved?

It's good to know they can rest safe in the knowledge that a revised plan has been submitted, is in the consultation period, and then will be brought to committee level. Yawn!

Secondly yet another twist in the saga of the high and low level sewers has surfaced. A bid to halt all development in the local area until a survey and study has been carried out failed - as any such common-sense move could well be open to a costly challenge. Councillors had no real option but to accept the legal advice. Once again the basic structure of local government planning has been undermined by the law books.

Finally a popular and picturesque section of the canal towpath has been closed for about nine weeks while work on a new footbridge is carried out. For safety reasons it probably is a wise move.

But the way it has been carried out is open to question. There again as British Waterways stresses they have no legal obligation as it is not classed as a public footpath.

Moral obligations seem to have been washed away.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.