This application has been predetermined, and only some form of legal challenge based on the various laws and recent High Court decisions around equal rights in hostels will be needed.

There are already countless tradesmen, BT OpenReach, etc., going in and out, so this is pre-works. The area around Hamilton Lodge is so so so much busier now. Busier even than when the nursing home was in full flow. Their arguments in this application do not hold water, especially the one about the site being no busier – it is, and the proof is there for all to see.

The meeting is to tell you what they have decided – see Cllr Hilton’s last sentence. This is not democracy, this is dictatorship of the highest level. They’re trying to give Kim Jong-un a run for his not inconsiderable money, and they’re winning the race? Anyway, we can all make our voice heard at the ballot box next time round. We will not forget. The Upex Hilton will be their dreadful legacy.