Soldier home plan to be resolved

Joe Townsend lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan

A row over the building of an adapted home for an injured soldier will be resolved after the prime minister intervened, a councillor has said.

Gordon Brown urged Wealden District Council in East Sussex to reverse a decision not to allow a bungalow for Royal Marine Joe Townsend in Pevensey.

Mr Townsend, 20, who lost his legs in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan, was "over the moon", his family said.

Councillor Roy Galley said he was "determined" to resolve the issue.

Mr Townsend, who lost one leg completely and one to the knee, has had several operations and rehabilitation at Headley Court in Surrey and is currently recovering from an operation at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

'Huge gratitude'

His grandfather David Carter, 72, submitted the application to finance and build the single-storey building in Hankham Hall Road, but was turned down last month.

Conservative-run Wealden Council, which had originally argued that the planned building would be "intrusive", now says it is "happy to discuss such a revised proposal".

More than 9,500 people signed a petition on the 10 Downing Street website in support of Mr Townsend.

Mr Brown intervened after the case was taken up by Noel Edmonds's Noel's HQ programme on Sky One.

A statement issued by the prime minister's office on Sunday said the council must "do the right thing".

We're ecstatic that this is going to happen, not just for Joe, but for all the lads so in the future they can do the same

Linda Carter, grandmother

"The whole country owes Joe huge gratitude for the sacrifice he has made for our country, and it is unacceptable that he is being stopped from having the home of his choice," it said.

"Wealden District Council must do the right thing immediately and reconsider this case."

Mr Galley, the councillor with responsibility for planning, added: "We are going to have some meetings in the next couple of days to try and resolve this issue and resolve it we shall, I am determined."

Mr Carter said: "I think this is wonderful news, absolutely wonderful, someone has seen sense at last."

His wife, Lynda , 60, added: "We're ecstatic that this is going to happen, not just for Joe, but for all the lads so in the future they can do the same."