31 January 2019
139 North Cray Road : New Planning Application
This latest application from No. 139 is for the
demolition of all existing buildings and the erection of six 4-bed
detached dwellings with basements, associated parking and amenity space.
These
would impact on the openness of this prominent Green Belt site, which
lies in open countryside and members are again asked for their support
in opposing the scheme.
Previously in 2013, after being given
permission for one house, the applicant quickly asked for another five.
Disappointingly,
in 2014 approval was given but this permission was not acted upon, and
Planning renewed it last year.
Immediately
afterwards, a new application was made - for a housing estate of 67
houses! Over 173 objections were submitted, resulting in Planning's
welcome executive decision to refuse planning permission (see NewsMail dated 11 January 2019)
Although
inappropriate in Green Belt and Heritage Land, the six dwellings in the
previously (2013/2014) approved application were single-storey and had
strict Conditions preventing further development such as garages and
outbuildings.
Under the current application
however, they will not be bungalows but large 4-bed houses with
basements – with nothing to prevent future enlargement by the addition
of garages, extensions and garden buildings that would further impact
upon openness.
The reason is given in the applicants' Planning
Design and Access Statement : six 4-bed family houses would have a much
higher market value than six 2-bed/3-bed bungalows aimed at the elderly
housing market. But at what cost to our environment?
Of
particular concern is what the Site Plan reveals. The application site
as a whole is very much larger than what is presented as the development
site. Stables are to be removed and there is considerable scope for
escalation into a much larger housing estate - one closer to the size of
the recently refused application for 67 houses!
Many of the
arguments against that development also apply to this new proposal:-
the
development would be highly visible from the North Cray Road; and the
internal road, its street lighting and the houses themselves would
dominate the street scene and adversely affect the character of the
area.
there would be an increase in traffic along the busy North
Cray Road as the bus service runs only half-hourly, and the nearest
railway stations are car-rides away; and there is no local
infrastructure such as schools, doctor's surgery and a chemist.
there
is no slip-way on the North Cray Road to provide safe access to and
from the site for 12 cars plus service vehicles of all sizes.
increased
traffic would result in more air pollution.
the location of the
site has a history of flooding A copy of our letter objecting to the
application to build 67 houses can be seen here.
If you visit Bexley's website and enter
the reference 18/03248/FUL into the search box, the plans can be viewed
via the 'Documents' tab. The layout can be best seen on 'PA1 SITE PLAN
SOUTHERN PART'.
Comments need to be submitted to DevelopmentControl@bexley.gov.uk by
18 February 2019 and Quoting the Reference 18/03248/FUL.
We
suggest that a copy of any submission you make be copied to our
councillors:-
Alan.Downing@bexley.gov.uk
Alex.Sawyer@bexley.gov.uk
It
would also be helpful if a copy could be sent to us:
