Forest Hill planning application receives 338 objections from outraged residents

8.51.47am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Sep 2009

Local residents and councillors protesting next to the proposed site

Forest Hill residents are outraged that a developer has resubmitted an almost identical outline planning application to build 71 units on green land less than 4 months after a previous application was unanimously rejected by Lewisham's planning committee. The previous application that was submitted was to build 74 units in 9 blocks and was rejected in April by a unanimous vote of the committee.

It was rejected by the planning committee for being poorly situated, providing a poor standard of accommodation, for being over development and out of character with the local area, and for failing to provide the required level of affordable housing.

Local Lib Dem Councillor John Russell said, "My residents who put in so much work to get the previous application rejected are disgusted that less than 4 moths later the developer has put in an outline application that is almost identical. The developer has taken absolutely no account of the reasons for the previous rejection, neither have they had the confidence to appeal the previous decision. The developer is simply trying it on. The fact that they have not even been able to submit a full application but have instead opted to submit two outline applications show they have done absolutely no thinking as to why the previous application was roundly rejected. Along with local residents we will be fighting this all the way as we did last time. We are confident that the planning department will do the only practical thing and either reject the new application or send it to committee with a recommendation for rejection."

Local Lib Dem councillor Alex Feakes commented, "The fact that this application has received 338 individual objections is testimony to the strength of local opposition to this proposed development. We are concerned that this new plan has not taken account of the reasons for the previous rejection and we will be it fighting in on the same grounds as before. Despite the PR consultants employed by the developer and the spin produced the reality is that this development is flagrant overdevelopment. If it is allowed to go ahead it will destroy the vast majority of protected trees on the site and will adversely affect the amenity of local residents."

Lib Dem Councillor Philip Peake commented, "We are a 100% behind local residents. This application is over development, it is poorly designed, it has poor access, it is out of character with the local area, it will destroy nearly all the preserved trees, and will have a detrimental impact on the local area."

Local resident Andrew Wood who has been coordinating the fight against the development said, "This is a magical place and one of Forest Hill's secret treasures.

"What is being proposed is garden grabbing at its absolute worst.

"The description of the site as brownfield is completely misleading. In reality it is part secret garden, part woodland and part wildlife reserve.

"100 years ago local residents successfully battled against proposals to turn One Tree Hill into a golf course. Thanks to them One Tree Hill is now a public open space and a local nature reserve. We want to follow their example and save the parkland behind Tyson Road for future generations.

"In an example of shameless spin the design concept for what is proposed is described as 'lantern like buildings in a woodland setting'. The reality would be 'concrete bunkers crammed into what was once a beautiful park.'"