Residents fuming at new threat to homes, green space and trees in massive Clapham development

By Ed Jones

Residents are demanding more time to digest the implications of a controversial plans to demolish their homes within six years for a massive regeneration project.

The Clapham Park masterplan will lead to the demolition of 864 homes including Fortrose Gardens and Hayes Court, to create 2,535 new ones – and locals have raised a string of objections to the scheme.

They believe that they are being forced by the developer Metropolitan Homes to accept lower than market rate prices for their homes.

There are also fears of social cleansing as people who have lived in the neighbourhood all their lives will be priced out of the area.

Residents are also worried about the strain the development will place on bus routes, with very few car parking spaces available for new residents.

Fida Hussain, a leaseholder and resident for more than six years, said: “We queue every morning simply to get into Brixton Station let alone get on a tube!”

No plans have been announced for additional new health provision for people living in the new homes either.

Residents also fear their objections are not being taken seriously by Lambeth planners and that they have not been given the guideline 21 days to properly digest the implications of the scheme – especially after more than 100 pages of new documents were added to the application only a week ago.

They are demanding discussion of the scheme by the Lambeth council planning committee, due tomorrow, Wednesday March 14, should be rescheduled to allow residents proper time to assess new information published.