THERE is nothing the British people like better than an underdog or a modern day ‘David’ with the conviction to fight a cause regardless of overwhelming odds.

Generations of sporting crowds the world over have been baffled as British fans get behind the no-hoper and cheer him on – even when he lags four laps behind.

In a nation that believes it is not winning that counts but the taking part, the loudest cheer of all comes when the underdog surprises everyone by coming first. Whether it is the football minnows from the lower divisions rising to the status of giant-killers by eliminating top clubs in the FA Cup, or the little man beating the system, nothing pleases us more.

Likewise, when the public feel that a celebrity is getting too big for their boots, they should be reminded who put them there.

Faced with yet another sterile Christmas number one pop song from the latest X Factor winner swelling pop magnet Simon Cowell’s already bulging bank balance, an ordinary couple from Essex proved that slight can beat might by leading a successful Facebook campaign to stop his bid for world music domination.

It is high time that those in our Island who despair at how the face of Jersey is changing started doing something other than moaning and despondently shrugging weary shoulders.

In a community famed for apathy, there is a tendency to accept the inevitable with making a fuss. Those who make a habit of airing gripes through media channels, such as the radio moan line and letters to the editor of this esteemed newspaper, run the risk of building a reputation as grumpy old men and women to be humoured but never taken seriously.

Out of this timid malaise emerged a resident of the western reaches of the town who decided to fight for his rights. He was willing to take on not just Planning, but the developer who is doing more than any other to change the face of this Island: Dandara.

Faced with the prospect of a huge residential development just 15 metres from and towering above his doorstop, Roger Dunn followed the usual process of making representation to protect his privacy and quality of life when Dandara applied to build 112 flats, a 60-bed nursing home and a large pre-school nursery unity in Westmount Quarry.

All this, condensed into four blocks of nine to 13 storeys crammed into a confined space was too much for Mr Dunn – even if it was designed by the mandatory award-winning British architect (in this case knight of the realm Sir Richard McCormack) so favoured by the Environment Minister, Freddie Cohen.

When Mr Dunn’s protestations failed to reduce the scale and impact on the surrounding area of this gargantuan development to his satisfaction and it was subsequently approved, he did not accept his fate, as most in his situation might have done. He was not prepared for his property to be dwarfed by one, let alone four, tower blocks – no matter who designed them.

This modern-day ‘David’ exercised his right to take a third-party planning appeal before the Royal Court. Notwithstanding the community benefits and merits of the scheme, the Royal Court found in his favour and awarded him costs.

The Royal Court’s decision was not just a victory for the ‘little’ man, it was also a ray of hope for anyone who finds their property and quality of life under threat from huge-scale or inappropriate developments that are increasingly changing the face of Jersey.

It is immaterial whether a development is designed by a world-renowned architect or a new kid on the profession’s block; it should sit comfortably within its surroundings, it should respect the vernacular and it should not overwhelm neighbouring properties.

Architects are driven by the ambition to come up with grand designs that break barriers and make their name. When this works the result is – to use the current buzz word – an iconic building that will stand the test of time. Yet there is a fine line between iconic and pretentious vulgarity, which is being crossed in the wrong direction by some of the modern mansions and sprawling country houses springing up around the Island.

Mr Dunn is not simply a hero for those who decide to fight against planning applications; his tenacity and conviction are an example for all Islanders who are not prepared to accept at face value what States departments decide is good for us and usually at great cost to our pocket.

The first signs of a potential pandemic in some far distant land and Health stockpiles drugs and then goes to extraordinary lengths to persuade us to consume or have medical potions injected into our bodies – just in case.

We have a Transport department spending millions of pounds on so-called improvements to Victoria Avenue when it looked perfectly all right to begin with, but which has reneged on repeated promises to extend the mains drains to areas of the countryside in dire need of connection.

There are many more examples of the nanny States and non-essential public services which are symptomatic of an over-large bureaucracy serving a government with no direction as it continues an uncertain journey at the public expense.

Moreover, the local identity is being so diluted that the true Jersey can now be found only in isolated rural pockets, while green fields are being lost to developments that sit incongruously in the countryside as manicured suburbia creeps ever outwards.

Our national symbol, the Jersey cow – once such a common sight in every parish that Islanders hardly gave herds a second look – now makes us stop to take time to stare.

Progress cannot be halted; it is essential to the evolution of mankind. But that does not mean that the ordinary man and woman have to accept change or comply with government dictates without question.

Mr Dunn’s successful defence of his rights as a member of the Island community is a shining example for all those among us who care about this fragile little rock.

Whenever a decision is to be taken which has implications for the future of the Island – and the public has a role to play in that process – it is imperative that we make our voices heard.