Developers have just lodged a planning application to demolish the NINTH family home with garden in Selcroft Road, Purley. They're at 34A, 51,53,55,61,63 Selcroft Rd and 2 Purley Hill, and the new one is to replace 57-59 by two rectangular slab blocks containing 24 flats. If approved, this means that nine family homes will be replaced by no less than 82 flats, all within 100M of each other.
I've just lodged my objection to this proposal in these terms:
- The design is spectacularly in breach of CLP policy DM10.1 which requires new development to:
- “Respect the development pattern, layout and siting,
- Scale, height, massing and density
- Appearance, existing materials and built and natural features of the surrounding area.”
The design constitutes two rectangular slabs instead of the gabled houses which are a feature of the local area, and the scale, height, massing and density are all completely out of character.
- Only 21 car spaces are provided so there’s very likely to be an overflow into Selcroft Road; this will add to the overspills from the EIGHT flatted developments nearby. This overflow will of itself cause a change in character of the area as on-street parking is relatively rare in this area.
- The transport statement glibly states that it’s a 12 minute walk to Purley station – and so it is, DOWNHILL. But I challenge the author of this report to walk FROM the station in 12 minutes – it’s more like 20 minutes. Similarly the buses are described as accessible, yet they are a full 750m away from the site and, again, up a hill. The measly provision of car spaces ignores the fact that the hilly nature of this area increases the propensity of its residents to own cars,, and you can forget about cycling in this hilly area!
- This 24 flat development is well in excess of the level at which the Local Plan specifies that there should be some provision of affordable housing, yet none is provided; the developer’s arguments do not hold water.
- Policy DM10 states that the Council “will take account of cumulative impact”. Within 100m of this site there are eight other consented schemes for the replacement of family homes with gardens by blocks of flats, so nine houses are due to be replaced by no less than 82 flats. “Taking account of cumulative impact” means that this application should be rejected on these grounds alone.
- The phrase “Cumulative Impact” also applies to the whole Place of Purley, where over the last 18 months, planning permission has been under active consideration or has been granted for about 60 individual homes to be replaced by blocks of 7-24 flats adding up to about 400 new homes; in addition Mosaic Place, 922 Purley Way, Whytecliffe Road South, Foxley Lane & Russell Hill / Road between them add another 700. This totals about 1100 homes which is over 50% of the annual requirement for new homes for the WHOLE OF CROYDON. If this does not constitute cumulative impact, then what does?
- I’m very concerned about the impact that such intensive development of Purley is causing on the local health & education services, given the total absence of infrastructure investment which all seems to go elsewhere in the borough. The delays for appointments in local surgeries get ever longer, and the Council has recently announced that despite a 4000 signature petition, the Purley Leisure Centre will not re-open this year, if ever.
If you feel as I do on this issue, and more importantly as the local residents feel, please submit your objections to [email protected] quoting reference 21/00213/FUL by 9 March 2021.
