Dear Neighbour

You may have had one of these leaflets (above) stuffed through your door.

“WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE SURREY HOUSING CRISIS” the headline screams.

But it’s not about Surrey. It’s our old friends – the Jockey Club and Redrow – trying to drum up support to build on Green Belt  at Kempton Park.

The leaflet is being distributed by Curtin & Co, the PR company doing the schmoozing for Redrow. (They are the ones who organised that misleading exhibition at Kempton Park in April this year.)

Curtins are on a charm offensive at the moment, lunching whoever they can (including some of our fellow Borough residents who are themselves legends in their own lunchtimes) to try and generate support for the plans of Redrow and the Jockey Club.

The leaflet, funnily enough, is a bit coy about Curtins’ true intentions.

“Curtins (working for the housebuilder Redrow Homes),” it says. “wishes to help those who want to see more housing built locally make their case to the Council, bla de bla de bla …”

Aren’t they such nice cuddly people, having everyone’s interests so selflessly at heart …

What the leaflet does not say is that Redrow and the Jockey Club want to build 2000 homes on Green Belt on the Kempton Park Racecourse estate. The only possible clue to the leaflet’s true intention is in a website link mentioned in the small print.

John Brooks, Assistant Head of Planning at Spelthorne Council, has felt it necessary to say the following:

“The Council has not been contacted by either Curtin and Co or Redrow Homes about this survey … The leaflet fails to explain Redrow Homes’ aspirations regarding Kempton Park and to that extent the leaflet is arguably misleading in the way the information provided by residents might be used.”

From a public official, those are damning words. Curtins should be ashamed of themselves – again.

Neighbours, we suggest you bin this leaflet. It should go with your Recycling, although it really is just plain old Rubbish.