Lambeth scraps plan to allow 20-storey tower block in West Norwood

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Officials have scrapped plans to allow a 20-storey tower block to be built.

Lambeth council earmarked Knollys Yard in West Norwood as suitable for a 68m-tall building in an investment plan last year.

But residents living in two-storey houses surrounding the proposed tower branded it a “monster,” which would “destroy the character of the local area” and cause “traffic chaos and reduced air quality.”

Lambeth has now dropped plans for the building and shelved a blueprint for the development of Knollys Yard completely from its site development plan (SADPD).

In a letter to residents and businesses, Cllr Danny Adilypour, the council’s cabinet member for sustainable growth and new homes, said: “On Site 19 at Knollys Yard, some residents raised concerns about the height and scale of the proposals during the consultation.

“As I’ve made clear in my meetings with local residents, while a planning application may still be brought forward by a party at any time and go through due process in line with the council’s planning policies, I recognise the community’s concerns and I have therefore asked the planning team to remove Site 19 from the SADPD.”

The purpose of the SADPD is to identify sites in the borough for development.

The hilly geography of the site means the buildings would appear significantly higher, the tallest reaching 115m above sea level. Trees in nearby streets such as Leigham Vale and Harpenden Road are made up of  two-storey terraced houses.

The council has also agreed to scale down its proposals to redevelop homes and businesses in West Norwood and Tulse Hill.3.

Pictured top: Leigham Vale homes, left, and the Knollys Yard site across the road, right  (Picture: Google Street View)