I am writing on behalf of the Forest Hill Society, regarding the proposed development on land adjacent to Vale Lodge, Perry Vale, Forest Hill, SE23 2LG (planning application reference DC/24/136242). This relates to the removal of existing car parking spaces and vegetation, and the construction of a four storey building, containing 6 flats.Â
We support local residents objections to this development, which is entirely unsuitable for this location. We wish to formally object to this application on the grounds that it is not in accordance with local, London and national planning policies.
Loss of Amenity, Overdevelopment and Quality of Proposed Residential
The existing residential buildings at Vale Lodge and Ian Court have been set out to provide adequate openness and amenity, the proposed building will impact the amenity of the adjoining buildings and negatively affect the open nature of the area. The severely constricted nature of the site limits the quality achievable for the apartments in the proposed building and indicates overdevelopment of the site. Outlook and amenity space is compromised due to attempts to avoid overlooking of adjoining properties. The overall design of the building is determined by these factors, rather than being a cohesive design responding to its context.
It appears the daylight/sunlight report does not examine the daylight levels achieved in the proposed dwellings or their amenity space. Given the position of Ian Court, there could be considerable overshadowing of the new dwellings with poor quality daylight and sunlight.Â
The constricted site also means that the proposed dwellings are not set back as far from the railway as existing homes. The impact of noise and vibration on this development will therefore be considerable. No indication is given in the application documents of how noise and vibration from the railway have been mitigated and the resulting impact on quality of the proposed dwellings.
Access and Safety
The access arrangements proposed to the new development are inadequate, with no separation of vehicle and pedestrian access. The existing access to Vale Lodge is already compromised by car parking, creating a long and narrow access to the site, with no allowance for vehicles larger than cars. It is hard to see how this will comply with the Building Regulations Approved Documents Part B5, for fire engine access, both in terms of width of access and distance from the road.  This will also pose practical difficulties for deliveries and maintenance, as access is extremely restricted. The safety of pedestrians is severely compromised with this form of access.
For the above reasons, we urge the local authority rejects this application in its current form.
Note: The Forest Hill Society Planning & Development Committee will, from time to time, respond to relevant Planning Applications to support or object to local developments and will, where possible, put these in the public arena for discussion and transparency through this blog. If you have any comments or feedback on these letters, please get in touch with us at: email@foresthillsociety.com
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