Yesterday, I submitted an objection to the new ‘backlands’ development proposed for land in-between Elyne Road, Stapleton Hall Road and Quernmore Road in support of local residents. The plans, which are on the Council’s website, are for a large 5 bedroom house that will completely change the feel of this garden area .
Afte meeting with local residents and visiting the site, I’ve urged the Council to reject the application for a number of reasons:
- Poor access: Access to the site is extremely poor with the path down the side of 2 Elyne less than 1 metre wide in places. This will make construction very difficult and building materials cannot be delivered to the site without causing a great deal of disruption – as they will have to be unloaded onto the street and then carried up the path.
- Loss of green space and natural habitat: The gardens between Stapleton Hall Road, Quernmore Road and Elyne Road – with this site at its centre – are an important green space for local residents and for birds and animals. Building in the middle of the site will badly degrade this green space and destroy the habitat of the animals and birds that residents regularly see in their gardens.
- This is a greenfield not a brownfield site so building housing here will not help the Council meet its targets for building new homes.
- Bulk and density: The proposed dwelling is too large and bulky for the site – taking up a very large proportion of the plot and goes up very close to the borders of neighbouring gardens. It is therefore an unacceptable increase in the housing density in the area.
- Loss of amenity for residents: There must be well over a hundred residents living in homes that back on to the site, who would all have their view from their back windows and gardens affected by this development. Many of these gardens will also duffer from overlooking from the new dwelling. There would therefore be an unacceptable loss of amenity from residents who will lose some of the enjoyment of their gardens.
The decision on the application won’t be taken till early September and there are already over 40 objections submitted on the Council’s website.