As people may have heard, Home Group - the owners of Victoria House at the North Cheam crossroads have submitted a new development proposal for the site.
Whilst it may seem like good news that the existing eyesore may soon be replaced, sadly the new proposal is almost exactly the same as the recent one in that it still only has 50 car spaces for 90 residential units (1, 2 and 3 bedroom) and is 10 storeys high which many local people feel is far too tall for the area.
The tall 3-towers design of the building still looks the same which many felt last time to be completely wrong for the area as well as being too tall and out of keeping with the art-deco design on the other three corners of the cross roads and other buildings in the area.
Given the strength of feeling against the proposal last time, the WPRA committee has agreed to work with the Chapra RA (Church Hill and Priory Road Residents' Association) on a joint petition to object to the new proposal. We are also leafleting residents local to the site.
As this is a new proposal, the previous comments/objections (or letters of support) are no longer relevant and only comments specifically based on this new proposal will be taken into account by the planning department.
If you would like to object, comment on, or even write in support of the proposal, the planning application number is A2016/75951 which can be accessed on
www.sutton.gov.uk, or by using the following direct link.
https://fastweb.sutton.gov.uk/fastweb/detail.asp?AltRef=A2016/75951&ApplicationNumber=&AddressPrefix=victoria&submit1=Go.
You can also write directly to:
The London Borough of Sutton Planning Division
24 Denmark Rd
Carshalton
Surrey SM5 2JG
Remember to quote planning number A2016/75951.
Petition sheets are being held in Steve's Card Shop on the North West corner of the crossroads - opposite Victoria House if you's like to go in and sign the petition.
We also have a small number on volunteers out delivering leaflets and also door knocking to gather petition signatures. Please contact me (Simon Densley -
wpra96@hotmail.com) if you'd like to join them and I'll get you some leaflets or petition sheets and allocate you some roads to do. We need to be quick though - the deadline is at the beginning of January.
This is not a knee-jerk reaction against any local development. Members might remember we supported the previous Stonegate Homes design (left) as a compromise we could live with. Whilst it was a bit bigger than we would have liked it was generally in keeping with local art-deco design and it had enough parking space for residents plus extra space for shoppers during the day and then for visitors in the evening. This new Home Group 'triple tower block' design will cause parking chaos in the whole area as well as not fitting in at all with the surrounding area.
We hope that with two local residents' associations working together, our combined voices will be heard loud and clear. Yes we want the existing building removed, but we want it replaced with something that will enhance the quality of the local area - not something that in 10 years time might be as hated as much as the exiting Victoria House is now.
Please make your voice heard by emailing or writing to Sutton's planning department and please feel free to get in touch to either deliver leaflets or to knock on doors to get petition signatures.
This is why we have residents associations. Lets make use of it and do all we can to ensure that development in our area is beneficial to the area, not detrimental.
