PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Liaison ongoing with Sydenham Hill Estate (Southwark side) reps to establish council intentions re building on the estate; despite council documents indicating no building is intended on SHE, Southwark council has been consulting residents re demolition for building purposes of garages (scrapped following residents’ opposition) and of bungalows; meeting to be sought with Cllr Simmons;

SHRNF objected to planning application on 42 Peckarmans Wood seeking to double the house’s footprint (3-storey extension); application/precedent risks compromising integrity of original architectural, social, and landscape values of the estate; applicant offered no intention to analyse/assess impact of development on acute hydrography issues affecting the woods below;

Beltwood site, Sydenham Hill: SHNRF considering objection to a retrospective application by developer attempting to rectify original planning permission approved on inaccurate plans; also considering objection to same developer’s application for further felling of mature trees on this site (part of the ancient Great North Wood); SHRNF attempting to check claim trees are diseased; a number of mature trees on this site have already been destroyed;

OCTOBER

Hesper House (Wells Park Road, opp. the park) development proposal: SHNRF made representations at a Lewisham Council planning meeting to review an extended application by the developer to increase height and footprint of a previously approved application for a block on the site of a single house; SHRNF has submitted further questions to Council re drainage issues;

SHRNF continues to support the Friends of Mais House in their struggle against Corporation of London’s over-scaled and inappropriate development proposals; despite a successful judicial review (ruling Lewisham had acted illegally & urging Council & applicant to work with the community re a more acceptable proposal), Lewisham Planners rushed through the self-same application which LBL again approved; following further legal advice, a second claim for judicial review has now been submitted and awaits a judicial decision re proceeding to a hearing;

The Cedars, 34 Sydenham Hill: despite SHRNF’s and other local objections to this over-densifying development of a locally-listed building (+ loss of green space and two very mature trees), Lewisham has approved coach house demolition/conversion into 11 flats and building of 8 2-bed alms houses;