Locals hit back at plans to knock down Victorian building for new flats

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to knock down a Victorian house and build 23 flats in its place in have received over 400 objections from locals, saying the new building looks “like a prison”.

Bromley council has received plans from the Woolbro Group to knock down a Victorian house to build a new set of flats in Beckenham.

The new building would be up to four storeys tall, adding 23 new flats to the area, eight of which will be “affordable”.

Construction of the project would see the current building on the site knocked down, which neighbours of the property said dates back to the late 19th century, according to council documents.

The building was last used as a care home before closing in 2019.

The plans have received 429 objections by locals online, including from local groups such as the Copers Cope Residents Association and the Victorian Society.

One neighbour of the property said the new building planned “looks like a prison”, while another said it was “dominant, overbearing and out of character with the historic setting”.

David Woolman, director of the Woolbro Group, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have spent nearly 2.5 years on this application and we have worked tirelessly to deal with all the comments raised by neighbours and the LPA [local planning authority]. The current building is a vacant, run down old care home that is providing no benefits to the community.”

The Victorian Society said in council documents that they disagreed with claims made by the developer on the current building.

They said: “The exterior of the building is in good condition and retains several attractive architectural features. The alterations could easily be replaced with period appropriate designs and materials. The new proposal is bulky in scale, dated and unimaginative in design.”

Council officers have recommended the planning committee refuse the application, given the “poorly designed” internal layout and historic significance of the current building. Officers said in their report: “The significance of [the building] would be totally lost through its demolition, resulting in harm to the character, appearance and visual amenities of the area.”

Responding to the council officers’ points, Mr Woolman told the LDRS that neither the loss of the existing building or the internal design of the planned flats should stop the current site being developed.

He said: “On [the loss of the current building], the building is not within a Conservation Area nor is it locally listed. Our heritage statement confirms there can be no objection to its removal yet the council deem it necessary to protect it. On [the internal layout], our daylight/sunlight report concludes the development was compliant yet the council still maintains it isn’t adequate.”

“The scheme would provide much needed housing to a borough that is not delivering anywhere near enough, and in particular 35 per cent for affordable housing.

“Very few schemes provide 35 per cent affordable in Bromley yet the council would rather protect a building that isn’t a heritage asset. This approach from Bromley completely contradicts the NPPF and government stance which is to promote small, brownfield sites for development.”

Bromley council was approached for comment, but had not responded at the time of publication.

The decision on the new flats in Beckenham will be decided at a planning meeting for Bromley council on Thursday.

Pictured top: A visualisation of the new set of flats planned for the site in Beckenham (Picture: HWO Architects / Woolbro Homes)