SIR,

Regarding the intention of the Haberdashers' school to erect a new dwelling in the garden of St James's House, Monmouth.

Myself and other residents at The Burgage will be seriously affected by the proposed new dwelling which will stretch over the backs of our houses, only 6.5 metres from our back windows.

The proposed dwelling is a two-storey building 5.8 metres high, 16 metres long, and  being so close, this will have a looming and oppressive effect over our properties.

I would regard this as unprecedented as far as proximity of a proposed building to the windows of an existing building.

The Haberdashers plan to restore three buildings to their original state and convert a barn to a two-storey house also in the garden of St James's house.

The barn conversion would sit comfortably in relation to the other buildings, but the proposed new dwelling will be shoe horned into a small garden to infringe privacy and be overly intrusive and light depriving over residents in the Burgage.

The new dwelling is 2.2 metres from the old town wall which forms an embankment next to the Burgage houses.

I have lived at The Burgage for 25 years. The new dwelling will be like a shutter which has come down over our windows, a permanent shutter that will never be opened.

Robert Pharoah

(Monmouth)