Neighbours criticise council planners claiming new homes are 'too close' (From Croydon Guardian)

Neighbours criticise council planners claiming new homes are 'too close'

8:31am Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News

Angry neighbours have criticised Croydon Council planners for giving a developer permission to build two new houses they say are too close to their homes.

Brenda and Grantley George and their neighbour John Skinner of St Dunstan's Road, in South Norwood, successfully fought two planning applications by developers, before the green light was given to build two three-bedroom properties on land between their homes.

The start of building work at the site, which is in the garden of a former vicarage in nearby Holmsdale Road, have reignited the residents' anger with Croydon planners.

Mrs George said: "We want to know why the Council have actually granted this plan. I think they have granted this without looking properly at where it is situated or the affect it is going to have.

"The council have disrupted the lives of two households and the development isn't even connected to a property on St Dunstan's Road, we want them to explain why."

The neighbours have successfully fought development on the land for four years and two previous applications, which included vehicle access to the houses.

Although the new builds are being built on land attached to a property on Holmsdale Road, access to the houses will be from a path on St Dunstan's Road.

Mr George said: "There isn't ample land for the construction of two semi-detached houses. We are also concerned about the loss of natural light, levels of increase noise and disruption this will cause our family."

Neighbour Mr Skinner, added: "With two new homes being built, my main concern is about subsidence, I can't see how they are going to build two houses in that space.

"We all put letters of concern in to the council during the planning application process, but they didn't reply or discuss it with us."

A spokeswoman for Croydon Council said the development is considered satisfactory in relation to the criteria from which the houses were approved.

She said: "We visited the site on Monday and the work being undertaken at the moment constitutes clearing and levelling the land.The application was granted on the grounds that it met the necessary criteria.

“These include distance from neighbouring properties, the impact on the amenities of the neighbours, the safety and security of buildings and the spaces around them.”