Halted: demolition of family home for 20 new flats on Oakwood Avenue

I am very pleased to say that an application to demolish a family home on Oakwood Avenue and to replace it with flats will now not be heard at Thursday’s planning committee. You can read part of my opposition to the application, and request for residents to make their comments clear below:

 

Re: 20//01625/FUL 

Demolition of 1 no. detached family house and erection of 1 no. apartment blocks, comprising of 20 new apartments, with associated hard and soft landscaping etc. 

14 Oakwood Avenue Purley CR8 1AQ 

This application was due to be heard on 4th February, but it was withdrawn by the Council just before the meeting started because of an issue around a Tree Report.

Tthe application is now being heard by the Planning Committee on Thursday 25th February. The meeting is being held remotely and starts at: 6.00pm

As per my previous email, I think this is a terrible proposal and I have lodged a strong objection to it.

In essence my concerns with this scheme are as follows:

  1. The proposal for 20 new homes spread over 5 storeys in a large block of flats would be a significant over-development of this site due to its size, height, footprint, bulk, density and massing and would be very detrimental to the street scene
  2. The large apartment block proposed to sit on this site is out of character with the two storey family detached homes of traditional characterful design adjacent to the site and will be detrimental to the street-scene – Oakwood Avenue is a valuable heritage asset in this respect and deserves protection not development
  3. The proposed design is more suited to an urban environment than this green suburban site: it would be visually dominating and harmful to the street-scene.
  4. Detrimental impact on adjoining occupiers due to overlooking and loss of privacy to properties in Oakwood Avenue and Riddlesdown Road
  5. Insufficient parking provision for residents and visitors
  6. Concreting over of garden space; the unacceptable loss of natural vegetation and natural habitat

If you share my concerns and haven’t commented to date then you can still do so up until the decision date via the Council’s website at https://new.croydon.gov.uk/planning-and-regeneration/planning/comment-or-object-planning-application