On January 10^th this year Country Squire Magazine published an Open Letter to Legal & General asking them why they were risking the L&G brand in a proposed care village development in the Devon countryside at Sladnor Park, which will destroy the environment there and put unnecessary pressure on the local community’s services and infrastructure. The area in Torbay affected is full of L&G customers who are shocked that the trusted brand of L&G are trying to churn up the English countryside.

The letter pointed out that Legal & General had acquired English Care Villages (ECV) in August 2017, that, “Planning applications, submitted by ECV for inappropriately located Care Villages in the Wirral and Sladnor Park (the Devon case) are currently under consideration by the respective Local Planning Authorities, and yet again both are being vigorously opposed by the local communities. If approved, these developments would decimate the precious countryside, and overwhelm these small communities.” ECV became Inspired Villages as declared in this L&G press release dated August 3^rd, 2017, which resides today on L&G’s website:

Sladnor Park is defined as a ‘unique and highly environmentally sensitive area; rich in historic character; the home of numerous rare and protected wildlife species, and is designated (in recognition of their international, national and local significance) as part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, one of only 120 in the world’.  It is located next to the tiny village of Maidencombe; one of only two rural villages in the whole of Torquay and identified by Torbay Council for special protection. Surely Legal & General would not risk its brand getting involved in destroying this beautiful area?

A friend of the magazine was angered and wrote to Legal & General after reading the Open Letter:

Transcript:

Dear Sirs,

I apologise if you have already seen this article published by ‘Country Squire Magazine’ but as both a customer of L&G and someone that would be dramatically affected by your current development strategy I wish to make sure your are aware and that it is brought to the attention of your Main Board.

https://countrysquire.co.uk/2019/01/10/do-lg-hate-the-british-countryside/

Kind regards,

xxxxxxxxxx

He received the following extraordinary denial from Legal & General. L&G claimed they had no involvement with the proposed Sladnor Park development at all:

Transcript: 

Good morning XXXXXX

Many thanks for sharing this article.  I can confirm that Legal & General has no involvement with any of the sites outlined in this article.

With kind regards

Harriet

So, he emailed Legal & General again:

Transcript: 

Dear Harriet,

Thank you for your very prompt response; it is very much appreciated.

On the one hand, for L&G’s sake, I am delighted to hear that news, but must now ask whether the publication is therefore wrong about L&G’s ownership of ECV ?

If, as mentioned in a press release that I found on-line, L&G acquired ECV (and another Care Village company) in late 2017.  If that is the case then surely, by association, L&G are involved in the mentioned development sites.

Best regards

XXXXXXX

And then things went quiet with L&G. The relevant staff seemed to be away on holiday a lot. Our friend knew that L&G had dug themselves in a hole. Why? He had previously emailed the Executive Chairman of Inspired Villages and just take a look at the logo in the footer which was received back:

 

Is that not a Legal & General Logo?

“Proud Partners”?

Really?

Proud Partners in destroying the English countryside? L&G?

So the August 2017 press release published on L&G’s own website and their logo on this email from the boss of Inspired Villages still merit a denial of involvement by Legal & General?

Then why is the Legal & General logo all over the Inspired Villages website too?

 

So the mighty Legal & General are in league with developers to carve up some of England’s most precious countryside. And it’s a really bad look, L&G.

We suggest you confess fast and extract your brand from these unpopular plans for care villages which you find yourselves unnecessarily embroiled in. Pull the plug or risk losing swathes of investors and customers.

For greed all nature is too little.     

Seneca