South Norwood war veteran pleads for developers to leave him in peace

by Dave Burke

dave.burke@essnmedia.co.uk

ASKING TO BE LEFT IN PEACE: Patrick McInally in his back garden
Photo by David Berman

In his lifetime Patrick McInally has been shot at by the German army and injured in an IRA bombing.

But the South Norwood pensioner says just as much anguish is now being caused by developers, who want to build a block of flats at the end of his back garden.

The 87-year-old, who struggles to walk any great distances, just wants to be left in peace for his remaining years, and says the flats would be a blight on his life.

Friends and local politicians have rallied round Mr McInally, and urged for the proposal to be rejected.

He will find out in the next month whether plans for the new building, which would be just 10 metres from his kitchen window, will go ahead.

Croydon Council has already given the proposal the thumbs down, but now the decision rests with The Planning Inspectorate after the developers appealed.

"I want to rest in peace before I rest in peace," Mr McInally said this week.

"In the years I've got left, my garden's very important to me and I want to be left alone.

"If the flats go up, it will be like a prison."

Since 1989, a number of applications have been put in to build new homes between the Avenue Gardens house he has lived in for the past 43 years and Lancaster Road.

The World War Two veteran, who served with the RAF in Normandy, added: "I fought for this, please let me live in peace.

"I've had more troubles from this than I did from the Germans."

Widower Mr McInally is partially deaf after losing his hearing in an IRA bombing in Earl's Court, in the 1970s.

Friend Richard Hough, who is fighting his own long running battle against developers who want to build on the site of his South Norwood garage, is helping the pensioner fight the plans.

He said: "Mr McInally can't hear very well, so to have his visual space taken away from him would be a disgrace.

"This is typical for developers, all they're interested in is money."

Councillor Sue Bennett is also lending her support to his cause.

She said: "This is a greedy development with no regard for the quality of life of adjoining properties, especially Mr McInally and his elderly neighbours."