Boris Johnson’s deputy mayor for planning, Sir Edward Lister, wrote to Sutherland Grove Conservation Area resident Tom Sokolowski in 2006 regarding a back gardens’ site.

He said: “Many residents were concerned that this application was a forerunner for an application for a house in the garden.

If Mr Beavercroft or another developer were to pursue this in the future I would rigorously oppose such an application for backland development.”

Tonight (Monday, June 15) when residents are attending their association’s annual meeting, at St Cecilia’s CofE School in Sutherland Grove, many hope that an urgent campaign will be initiated to fight the latest planning application. 2015/2661 on the very same site.

Locals wish Sir Edward (19 years Wandsworth Council’s leader) was still with us here.

For, council planners seem still hell-bent upon actively encouraging developers to build new dwellings in back gardens, in spite of their former much respected leader’s feelings.

Application 2015/2661 shows two new, well-designed, modern dwellings (owned by Indigo Scott) which, however, are totally anomalous within their 1930s street scene. Locals have fought off all previous backland developments in this road.

But, if the plans are approved, there are up to 90 other Sutherland Grove properties that would automatically become ripe for unstoppable similar pop-up separate dwellings in gardens.

Such an appalling precedent is then likely to produce a future overcrowded, back-land, slumtype “conservation” area.

Is this truly what our current Conservative Government recommends?

JANE TIRIMO SW18