Does anyone live in the new development in Worcester Park?

[whereaboutinlondon]

I'm looking to buy a new flat and saw a very nice ground floor flat at Hampton development in Wocester Park. The only thing I would be worrying about if I would live on the ground floor is burgulars. I've never lived on the ground floor.

My husband said the area is safe so no burglars will come and he assured me we would be fine if we set secury alarms and cctv at home but he never lived there so I'd like to ask people who are actually living in the development.

Also it that right security guards are operating in the development?

I wouldn't.
Friends live near there and the hill is treated as a public park.
There is no privacy at all in those houses.
UNLESS
its one that faces well away from any of the public paths.

but all houses have a ground floor no-one worries unduly about burglars unless the house in insecure or in an area prone to burglaries.

can't you get local crime statistics from some website these days?

Those houses have no gardens or fences though : the public can walk up and look in the windows - and because of the hill, its possible to look into and down on many of them.

I don't know those houses in particular I was responding more to the general perception that ground floor flats more likely to get broken into (yes than a 5th floor flat maybe but surely not more than a bungalow or a house with a ground floor)

as a general perception you are right, but that development is distinctly odd.
we go up to look at it slack jawed every six monthos or so!

Talkinpeace - why do you get "slack jawed"?

We were shown this development when we were looking to rent in Surrey. It wasn't for us however I thought it was quite a nicely done development (if you like that kind of thing).

It had a bit of character about it and I thought the greenery would be a huge bonus to people. It seemed peaceful. Why is it odd?

Hi
'Friends live near there and the hill is treated as a public park'

That's because it is for the public! Well, the public who live in Worcester Park anyway. Correct me if I am wrong but an agreement was made when this development was built (it was previously a sewage works) that the grounds would be open to local residents (not just the Hamptons). To be honest, as lovely as the houses are, it's a bit souless..... like a film set. Annoyingly, no extra schools or doctors have been provided to cope with all the extra people.

We have friends there, and they are very happy. Never mentioned any concerns about security to us.

Purplecarrot
It is a very incongruous development. Very stepford wives/ wannabe New England.

Kazzie
And yes I know what it was like before : been visiting the area for 30 years. Not many public parks are level with the second floor bedroom windows. I gather that in the snowy weather the people on that side of the estate had to move their cars out of the way of the sledges - there being no fences between the park and the front doors.

And the schools thing is a common part of big new developments : they agree not to have the roads adopted so have to cough up less s106 money.

" I gather that in the snowy weather the people on that side of the estate had to move their cars out of the way of the sledges - there being no fences between the park and the front doors."

utter rubbish!! there isnt a fence, there is a pavement, then a two lane road, then another pavement, and then a front garden (albeit a very narrow one)

I live there!