Redevelopment of 2 Maidstone Road

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Permalink Reply by Rachella Sinclair on June 17, 2012 at 21:44

BBC documentary recently aired a show highlighting unsympathetic redevelopment: The Secret History of Our Streets.

You can still see it online here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jt9bv/The_Secret_History_of...

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Permalink Reply by Karen Briggs on June 17, 2012 at 22:19

Hi Rachella,

Yes, I saw the 2 episodes shown so far. I lived in Camberwell about 25 years ago so, it brought back a lot of memories.

Sadly, local councils still aren't 'getting it' and seem happy to give planning consent for flats everywhere these days. A block of flats on the corner of Maidstone/Brownlow Roads would look awful and is really not in keeping with the type of properties already here.

Karen

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on June 17, 2012 at 22:16

We had a discussion about this development on the site back in February; a discussion which includes details of the proposed new building Follow this Link

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Permalink Reply by Karen Briggs on June 17, 2012 at 22:30

The programme that Rachella mentioned, 'The Secret History of Our Streets', showed a development in Camberwell that was in keeping with the houses already there. I remember seeing a new build street somewhere in South London a few years ago too (can't remember exactly where) where the houses were built in a Victorian style. If it really is necessary to build more properties, there is no reason why they cant blend in more with what's already there. They don't have to be ugly, square Lego-style properties. I despair

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Permalink Reply by Alison Shoop on June 17, 2012 at 22:39

I fear it's too late to affect this development which is a great shame, as it was such a lovely house.  My understanding is that the new 3-storey block of flats will contain something like 6 x 2 bedroom and 2 x 3 bedroom flats.  What also concerns me greatly is that there are only plans to provide 2 parking spaces for the whole block - apparently in line with the council's wish to promote car-free living.  From what I've read, this means that people living in these flats won't be entitled to local residents' parking permits . . . so where do you think they'll end up parking?  Sigh.  Very sad I'll be at work tomorrow so not able to come along at lunchtime, but hope there's a decent turnout.

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Permalink Reply by Paul D Smith on June 18, 2012 at 8:33

This idea that you can force people out of their cars really is a joke.  I've seen this in parts of Enfield before and it never works.  Every flat has one, or these days often 2 or 3 for flat-shares, cars and they greatly increase the load on the streets.  And of course they potentially add to possible profit by the flat builders, who don't have to use land for car parking but can build more flats instead - but the other local residents get the pain.  Never really liked Ken Livingstone but at least he used to understand that you don't force people out of cars, you entice them with cheap but efficient public transport.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on June 21, 2012 at 16:38

A short article on the North London Today newspaper site reports on the redevelopment - including a quote from Bowes ward councillor Achilleas Georgiou who points out that the only way the building can be halted is via "a costly and time-consuming judicial review".

• Read the full article online

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Permalink Reply by Dave Corcoran on June 22, 2012 at 16:13

Appalled and saddened by the demolition of that house, which I had hoped for years would find a sympathetic buyer to renovate it.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on March 12, 2013 at 11:06

For clarity: any further discussion on this development will be on the current thread Please follow this link.

A record of previous discussionns can be found here

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