I read on page 5 of your paper (Council objects to Men in Sheds extension, Okehampton Times, May 11)  what appeared to me to be a serious attack on the above group.

I have popped in and out of their tiny shed over the past three years (after losing my dear wife)  to be greeted with smiles and a cup of tea, and nothing but friendliness.

 The following day I went to the community garden’s adjacent shed and enjoyed moving numerous barrows of woodchip compost into a large netted fruit bush area. The day was very hot, but, with others, we managed to complete the task in two to three hours. 

Afterwards, I went to visit the Men in Sheds where one young chap and three over-70 chaps like me were enjoying a cupper. One was outside painting a repaired metal bin.

I wanted to talk about the article in the paper, which used such serious language as  ‘environmental impact!’, ‘invasion of privacy!’ and ‘concerns about noise levels!’  As for ‘starting to encroach’  on the community garden, there was no explanation of how much, nor who was being put out or who was making the complaint. The whole site is owned by the Okehampton charity, and they have been happy for some years with the way the site is run. The Men in Sheds hut is quite small, in that, inside,the chaps are careful not to bump into each other as there is so little room between the two worktops.

Yes, they have some drills and some cutting gear but these are never used continually each and every day.They are only used as and when wood needs cutting to shape before assembling. For some two to three years Phil Bush has told me that the Okehampton charity were hoping to help with a frontal extension so that the chaps could move about in a safer way. This seems to be a very sensible idea.  I find it hard to believe that Phil Bush was not notified of the council planning meeting to discuss the plan, nor invited to it to be able to answer any questions. 

The article talks about ‘constant complaints’ from local neighbours about use of power tools at weekends. Well, the shed is many yards away from a boundary hedge which is some four yards in height and some two yards, or so, thick, and the nearest houses are some distance away from that. NO Neighbours have called at the shed to complain, ever, and Not One town councillor has called to speak about the above matters.    I was told that,when the community garden shed was being set up, the chaps went to their aid to help with water and drainage and various other jobs. Their shed is also much bigger than the one of the Men in Sheds.

Why have concerns been raised about a greater fire risk to the community garden shed and the sewage outlet route? Explain please. What problems can a handful of pensioners cause? I have never known of the police being asked to comment on this small building site tucked away in the top of a field. There have been no security problems since the shed opened up, nor at the adjacent much larger community garden shed. Why have the police never called there to have a chat if they have such heavy concerns? I am ex-job myself and can see right through this. I have never read such a damning  article about a good cause, and the word ‘conspiracy’ keeps going round my head.

The picture with the article [showing the Men in Sheds working with local charity Who Let the Dads Out?]  supports all I have said above.

Michael Bennett, Okehampton