Neighbours say the two-storey homes are inappropriate for the area, but developers Harp & Harp say they are proposing ‘high quality, environmentally-friendly family homes’, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Proposals have been put forward to replace a single property in Chingford with three new homes, but residents say they are not suitable for the “leafy suburb”.
The plans were lodged with Waltham Forest Council’s planning department in mid-August, amid a London-wide push for more housing.
Neighbours say the two-storey homes are inappropriate for the area, but developers Harp & Harp say they want to build “high quality, environmentally-friendly family homes”.
If the scheme was approved, work would begin next February.
The three new houses would each come with a single parking space, bicycle storage, new landscaping, and bin stores.
Harp & Harp director Kayleigh Harp said she hoped the project would “contribute towards combating the drastically low supply of homes being built in London and across the country”.
Grace Williams, leader of Waltham Forest Council, previously said there was an “increasing need” for housing in the borough, amid what she called a “severe housing crisis”.
However, dozens of people living in the vicinity oppose the scheme, resident Simon Twohig told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Simon, a resident in Sunnyside Drive, said: “It’s not in-keeping with the family terrace and semi-detached houses surrounding it.
“It’s being injected right in the middle of an area that is impacted by four [busy] roads.”
He added: “It’s not been well thought through, we don’t think.
“They’ve found a bit of space and thought, ‘Why not build one house when you can build three?’”
In a planning statement, published in July, the developers say the impact on the existing street scene will be “minimal”. They have also pursued houses rather than flats as the area is predominantly terrace homes.
Fellow resident Margaret Hodge said she was worried the new neighbours would be forced to park on adjacent roads, which “cannot take on any more cars”.
She said: “It’s going to make people irate and cause chaos, absolute chaos.
“It will be accessed via an access road in Pole Hill Road, but that won’t be suitable.
“The average household has two cars. There’ll be only one parking space for one vehicle, so what will happen to other vehicle?
“We’re losing our identity with all these houses being built.”
Simon said: “It will be a real pain to park when you’ve got three extra households in an area that’s already quite saturated.
“Most households here only have the one car, and we’re already full.”
He told the LDRS other amenities – including broadband, power, sewage and local medical services – could be put under pressure. He said residents in Sunnyside Drive, Kings Head Hill and Pole Hill Road could also lose their sense of privacy.
The developer has said it will make “substantial” contributions and donations to local infrastructure and amenities, as many are required to do.
Kayleigh added the team had “engaged extensively” with the planning department through various pre-application meetings, which “helped shape the scheme to the one submitted”.
She said: “It is our intention to build high quality, environmentally-friendly family homes through a creative, modern design that sits as a local exemplar of infill housing and that does something – albeit in a small way – to contribute towards combating the drastically low supply of homes being built in London and across the country.”
A decision on the plans is expected to be made by 22nd October.
Editor’s Note (01/10): This article has been corrected to say the proposed homes are two storeys not three, as previously stated.
No news is bad news
Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.
The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.
Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
More information on supporting us monthly or annually
More Information about donations
