A planning application dubbed “the worst type of development” by local councillor, Ross Houston, for 307 units in blocks of up to nine storeys on the Homebase site in North Finchley was rejected unanimously at last night’s Planning Committee.
345 residents had submitted objections on the grounds of a raft of issues including overdevelopment, parking, height and scale. The Committee rejected the application for height, scale, design and local character.
Labour West Finchley councillor, Ross Houston who objected to the plans and spoke at the meeting said:
“This is the worst type of development – the highest profit for the developer to the detriment of the local community and ultimately those who would have to live in this development.
“This is not an area intended for high rise blocks. There is absolutely no way in which these proposals compliment the adjacent mostly Victorian or Edwardian terraced housing stock – the exact opposite. But the developers have treated this site as an inner London town centre site, completely ignoring the suburban context.
“These proposals are clearly too dense and out of character with the surrounding area. The height is oppressive. The design completely inappropriate to the local context. How would you feel with nine storey blocks just 21 metres from your low rise terraced house rear windows!
“The report tries to justify being flexible on the guidelines on daylight and sunlight. The council should not. I am glad the Planning Committee could see this.”
Ends.
Notes:
- Attached is a copy of Cllr Houston’s speech.