Town "is being ruined"

TWO new flat developments are set to spring up in Buckhurst Hill despite opposition from residents and councillors who say developers are ruining the town.

District councillors have agreed plans for two blocks to provide nine flats in Albert Road and a development of 23 flats on the former Monkhams service station site in Buckhurst Way.

Parish and district councillor Malcolm Woollard said: "We're quite appalled by the shape of development taking place in Buckhurst Hill generally at the moment. We're getting flats in areas where historically we've had houses of only two storeys. We're getting a bit tired of this."

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He added: "The area needs to be developed but we should get the opportunity to see if the area could be developed with the same character and consistency of old.

"Something needs to be done. We already got that eyesore the Atrium - God knows why that was ever passed and now we're getting more blocks of three or even four storeys springing up on every corner.

"Developers see Buckhurst Hill as a soft touch and we need to signal to developers they can come in but they should come in by our rules."

Residents of Elgar Close and Elm Close expressed concern over loss of privacy and light that would be caused to their properties by the new blocks in Albert Road, but councillors voted to grant permission for the scheme by five votes to four, deciding the impact on neighbours would be negligible.

The decision over the 23 flats in Buckhurst Way had been deferred from the plans committee's April meeting to allow developer Higgins Homes the opportunity to provide more parking and contribute to the community by making an offering towards "affordable" housing.

Amended plans included two additional car parking spaces and an "eleventh hour offer" of £25,000 towards "affordable" housing in the district.

Mr Woollard said: "It's nice to know the scope of the bribe," but he admitted the brownfield site was in need of development.

Higgins was not obliged to offer affordable housing as part of the development because the number of flats fell below the current 24-flat threshold, however the threshold is expected to drop to 15 within the next few months.

Councillor Gavin Stollar said: "Reluctantly we have to support this scheme. It is the last opportunity for the developer to get away with such sculduggery."