Wandsworth Borough Council have sold off the land used for a community pocket park at the corner of Gowrie Road and Taybridge Road without public consultation. Now a planning application (number 2016/5528) has gone in to completely replace the little park with a block of five flats, including basements. Our objections are listed below.

Already we've had a huge amount of support protesting the development from local residents,  but the more signatures we can raise letting Wandsworth know that this is not acceptable the stronger our case against the development will be. Please sign our petition to ask the council to debate this planning application.  Every name counts!

We object to the building of a three-storey block of flats on this space for the following reasons:

1. If it goes ahead, the planned development will significantly reduce the sense of openness, losing a well-established public space including huge trees, that has been used for over 40 years.

2. The proposal will result in overdevelopment of a small site, up to twelve additional parked cars on the street (as no off street parking is included and it won't be excluded from parking permits).

3. The development is not in keeping with the style of the local area, which mainly comprises Victorian terraces.

4. The height of the building is overbearing, and raises privacy and light concerns for neighbours on four sides. The inclusion of balconies exacerbates these privacy issues. 

5. There are several cases of subsidence in the local area, and residents are concerned that the planned basement level might aggravate existing problems.

6. The development sets a precedent for the excavation of basements, and the building of three storey apartment blocks, including balconies.

7. The local infrastructure (schools, doctors' surgeries, and so forth) are already overburdened. The construction of this block of flats will only put extra pressure on these limited resources.

Further information, including plans, can be found at the Gowrie Road Pocket Park website:

www.gowrieroadpocketpark.co.uk​

https://gowrieroadpocketpark.wordpress.com/

You can also raise objections with the council directly at the following link: 

https://planning.wandsworth.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=2016/5528

Thank you for your support.