58 Flats applied for on Hampden Lodge site

P0713.08 – Demolition of existing care home and construction of three residential buildings extending to three to four stories in height, to provide 58 residential units (6x studio, 17x 1 bed, 32 x 2 bed and 3 x 3 bed flats), with 58 car parking spaces.

The Collier Row & Mawneys Residents Association is very concerned about a planning application that has been submitted on the old Hampden Lodge care home site. The application to build 58 flats on the one acre site, up to four stories high is a big development in a very small area.

Cllr Mann said " Along with myself, Kevin Tonks, Denis Stevens and local residents, we have delivered hundreds of letters to residents across Collier Row about the application and have already had dozens of replies back to us. This application is far to big for this site, with little respect for traffic and over development and we will fight this all the way"

Many of you have already contacted us to pass on your objections to the scheme. We have been inundated by phone calls, letters and e-mails in the last few days, from residents concerned about the size and bulk of the development, lack of parking and amenity space, along with the traffic implications in Clockhouse Lane.

The site has been empty for over two years, since being closed as a care home. The Council put the site up for sale last year and now a deal has been struck with Bellway Homes to build flats on the site. However, the sale is dependent on getting planning permission, which concerns us greatly.

This is a big housing development for Collier Row and we feel disappointed that neither the Council nor the developers had the decency to speak with the local residents or local Councillors before making the application; it has caused a lot of upset in the community.

We are also very concerned that the Council will only receive the money once contracts have been exchanged, on condition of receiving planning permission. This means if the Planning Committee does not pass the application, Havering Council does not get paid. This in our view leaves the whole planning process with a very dark grey area over it, if Councillors do not approve the application.

You have until 20th May to submit objections to the application; you can e-mail planning@havering.gov.uk or write to Planning Control, Mercury House, Mercury Gardens, Romford, Essex, RM1 3SL. Could we also ask you to copy Cllr Andrew Mann into any objections via the Town Hall or e-mail, andrew.mann@havering.gov.uk