Council building a 4 storey tower block in a small space 10 feet away from my mid terraced property

[UnshakenNeedsStirring]

Hi All, I need some advice please. I received a letter from our council in a leafy green part of SE London. They are building a 4 storey tower block right in the middle of our cul-de-sac where about 45 families live in mid terrace properties. The land is just 10 feet outside my bedroom window and currently has a community centre. It will need demolishing and following that years of pain and misery to have a tower block blocking our light and no space for kids to paly or kick a ball. The area is heavily built up anyway. There has been no regards to our lives and our health in this matter and the council seem to be bent on carrying this out. How do I stop it? Please help as I haven't slept in days and its affecting my mental health. Any advice will be appreciated.

I’m reasonably sure I know where this is and am familiar with the proposed plans which are actually quite sympathetic to the location. The site has also been firmly earmarked for development in the local plans for years (hence, I assume, why all the local estate agents have it on their radar) and thus suspect it’s highly unlikely any objections from local residents will block the site being developed entirely. Your and your neighbours’ focus will need to hinge on why the proposed site layout, height and style are unsuitable, which may force the council to change the nature of development they’re proposing.

100%!

It’s actually great to head a building is being built solely for the purpose of social housing. Many areas are in dire need.

I highly doubt you’ll be able to do anything OP. Obviously you can go to the meetings and say why you object but so many councils in London are overcrowded. It’s actually great that their doing something about it.

Unfortunately you’ll just have to adapt

Thank you! I will message you, as any help in this mater will be appreciated.

Quite. My eyes rolled far back at 'leafy green suburb'

Thank you. I will do everything I can do to stop

If you care to go a google search, it is indeed a leafy green suburb in SE london. So you can roll your eyes all you want.

It definitely will. Not to mention blocking all the light that currently I have in my home

I wish :( Makes me want to tear my hair tbh

If you care to go a google search, it is indeed a leafy green suburb in SE london. So you can roll your eyes all you want.

I don't doubt it is, it's the mention of it in a post against homes being built. I guess it's fine in the not so leafy parts. Also good as you've got a home for yourself already, stuff everyone else.

You need actual legitimate concerns about the finished building.
not the building work, or how you feel.

e.g parking, flooding, loss of community amenity, building too large and not in keeping with the current surroundings.

A 5 storey block of flats squeezed 10 feet away from my bedroom window and I should be grateful?

Noted, the other PP have also suggested that. I will take this on board. Thanks

We all know that social housing is in crisis, but who in their right mind would add a block of flats in between a cul de sac of 40 houses? If this was happening to you, youd be moaning too

It is hard. But it is everywhere now. We are squeezing more and more onto less and less. It sounds like it’s a good use of the land however the building is perhaps inappropriately large??? Quite often developers apply for too much knowing they will get knocked back. So apply for 60 knowing they will get 40. But if they applied for 40 they’d get knocked back for 20.
we do need more social housing and with the rental market the way it is and economy looking the way it is, it’s going to be imperative. My advice fight to make it appropriate but accept it’s going to happen - as it is up and down the country.

just be thankful you get notice. The wildlife doesn’t.

i really get your angry, and understandably. It’s another 80 odd neighbours and a lot of change, are the schools ready? Are the doctors ready?

it does seem a good use of already owned council land (so tax payers money). It’s the size and disruption that’s the issue?

Small normal houses house a lot less people.

We are in a housing crisis and this will happen more and more. Homes England missed their target of 45000 affordable homes in 2021 and they are upping the ante now.

RoL and daylight and sunlight will absolutely impact on plans but the developers are savvy and more than likely onto this already before they have to start paying out for assessments.

We all know that social housing is in crisis, but who in their right mind would add a block of flats in between a cul de sac of 40 houses? If this was happening to you, youd be moaning too

I'd probably be moving into them 🫣

@Babdoc we did the same and have successfully so far for the past 12 years stopped developers building on a empty garage space at the back of our houses

We objected in such a way that they would drastically have to reduce the amount of flats so then it became not viable for the developers 😂

Is it the council or private developers
if private developers they have a certain amount they need to build to make it profitable
at the back of my house they wanted to build a four storey block of flats around 52 flats I think
Everyone objected constantly over the years not just those directly behind it but in nearby streets because of the lack of parking and these flags has no parking facilities

The developers kept submitting new plans and dropping the number of flats but last year they had dropped it to about 40 flats and it still got refused so they have basically said they can’t do it as under that amount it won’t be profitable for them

I’m confused. The road shown here is a footpath surely? Because if that’s a standard, 2 lane road there is absolutely no way in the world these flats are ten feet from your window.
An average road is eleven feet wide.

Have you seen the actual plans @UnshakenNeedsStirring ? If you are objecting to the application you really need to see the plans to know what it is that you want changed or removed from the proposal.

The letter should have a reference number on it if this is a consultation for a planning application. If not, phone the council planning department and ask them for the reference number.

Once you have seen the plans, you need to make sure any objections are based on the development proposed and the real life impacts, like suggested above.

Parking, traffic, road safety will need to be looked at.
Open space provision and the fact existing open space is being removed (maybe? Depends on the plans and layout?)
Impact on amenity of existing residents- this can cover loss of light or impact of development in proximity to existing houses

Are you in a conservation area? That can change matters too.

The key is to know if you are being consulted on an actual application or if this is a pre-application notice. Don't just panic, find out more information.

Yes first I heard it was a 4 storey building, but the developer has said they need more flats to make it viable so now its a 5 storey structure :(

@ just measured the road , its 10 feet wide. Footpath is 3 feet wide.

Forgot to tag you @AdobeWanKenobi

Thanks!! Can you share any petitions etc via a DM? Will appreciate it