Sir,-The Sword of Damocles still hangs over the fine Edwardian Sheen House, 175 Sheen Lane, which readers may well remember was featured in this newspaper last year.

Since the owners, The Metropolitan Housing Trust, submitted their first application to the council on December 21st, 2001 to demolish Sheen House and replace it with a three and four storey block of 21 flats, the area in which it stands has been designated a Conservation Area and the house itself has been listed as a Building of Townscape Merit.

Despite this, the demolition of Sheen House with replacement by a three and four storey block of 16 flats with parking places for 13 cars is again proposed

Sheen House is one of five fine Edwardian Houses situated within the Conservation Area approaching the Sheen Gate entrance to Richmond Park.

Four of these houses, including Sheen House, have an imposing corner turret which complement each other and form an important feature of the Sheen Lane/ Shrewsbury Avenue/ Sheen Gate Gardens junction. Under the designation 'Building of Townscape Merit', Sheen House entirely meets the criteria for the appropriateness to its site and inter-relationship with other buildings and makes a unique contribution to the townscape.

We are indeed fortunate to live in a borough world famous for its abundant natural beauty and fine, historical architecture - and for which we pay the highest council tax in London .

However, in the rush to satisfy the government's increased housing demand, developers are getting their way all too easily in targeting buildings of historical and architectural merit, which often have large gardens, for destruction and replacement with blocks of flats.

Our architectural heritage is being insidiously eroded. To allow demolition of Sheen House would be an act of official vandalism. Internal conversion could provide homes for the future while retaining the graceful past.

Save Britain's Heritage wrote to the council last year urging rejection of the proposed demolition, stating, This building in particular typifies much of what is so pleasant about Edwardian suburbs - carefully sited, scaled and massed. It forms an anchor point while not seeking to dominate'.

This is influential backing indeed, reinforced by nearly every residents' group and amenity society in the area, together with a 1,000 signature petition presented to the council.

I urge all readers who know and care about Sheen House to write a letter opposing its destruction and addressed to: The Development Control Manager, Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham TW1 3BZ and quoting reference: 01/3396/FUL.

Time is extremely short and letters must be received by April 30th, although I understand that there may be a few days grace.

As with the original notice, the council has issued the revised notice to residents during a Bank Holiday period, thus reducing the effective time during which objection to the proposal can be lodged.

The amendments are available for viewing at Sheen Lane or at the Civic Centre, Twickenham.

We must protect what we sometimes take for granted and value so casually before it disappears. Readers unite - and please write.-Julia Smith, Shrewsbury Avenue, East Sheen.

April 30, 2003 16:00