A planning application has been made to the Council for 27 flats and involves the demolition of a large Victorian house.

Situated in a prominent location at the brow of the hill between Beckenham and Shortlands, at the corner of Downsbridge Road, 79 and 79a Bromley Road is a distinctive Victorian house from the mid-1800s and one of the last remaining grand villa houses that once lined Bromley Road.  

The three-storey building currently accommodates 13 retirement flats and an adjoining, four-bedroom single family house.  The £12M development involves the demolition of the entire building, replacing it with a five-storey block of 27 flats, and underground car park.  The proposed scheme comprises 5 No. one-bedroom, 17 No. two-bedroom and 5 No. 3-bedroom flats, providing  space for up to 95 occupants.  None of the flats will be affordable housing.

The developer reported that no responses were received to consultation leaflets and emails sent last November to residents in the surrounding area, and to ward councillors.  Unfortunately CCARA was not consulted at this time and several residents have complained they were not made aware of the scheme until the planning application was made public at the beginning of January.  

We have written to the council objecting to the application, focussing on the loss of an attractive Victorian building, the scale and density of the new development, the lack of any affordable housing provision, loss of trees on the site, road safety concerns, amongst other issues.

Full details of the planning application are on the Council’s website here 20/03881/FULL
where you can also leave a comments on the proposal.  If you wish to comment, you must give your full name and address, or your views may not be registered.

 

Large Mobile Phone Mast Erected on Bromley Road

An administration error by the Council’s Planning and Development department appears to have resulted in the erection, without planning permission, of a large mobile phone mast on land behind the petrol station on Bromley Road.

In September 2019, a telecommunications company sought permission to erect an 18m (59ft) high base station tower directly behind the petrol station at 202 Bromley Road.  The application was refused by Bromley Council in November, deciding that the height, appearance and siting of the proposed mast would be detrimental to the visual amenities of the area, and would appear as an alien and incongruous feature in a backland setting  within a suburban residential area.  So, in February, local residents were shocked to see the tall structure suddenly appear on the skyline.  The mast is designed to hold six 2 metre-high antennae and a 30cm satellite dish, though at present the equipment hasn’t yet been fitted.

In a response to a freedom of information request, concerned neighbours discovered that the Council retained no record of an email being sent to the applicant notifying them of their decision to refuse the application.  It appears that, in the apparent absence of a decision within the statutory period of 56 days, the applicant decided to press ahead with construction.

Full details of the planning application are here 19/04009/TELCOM

 

 

 

Plans have been submitted to convert Kelsey House at 75-77 Beckenham High Street to a 68 room hotel and 9 apartments.

    

The project is a joint venture  between Travelodge and Dunward Properties which also includes a five-storey extension to the west (orange and yellow on the plan above) and south (green) of the existing building, extending up to the boundary with Village Car Care garage and back to the rear boundary.

The existing stair and lift core is to be demolished and rebuilt to serve the hotel, whilst a new, separate stair and lift will be built for occupants of the flats.

The bar and restaurant at ground floor level will remain unchanged.

Only 11 car parking spaces, 2 of which are disabled bays, are provided for the entire scheme.

Full details of the application can be found here 19/00286/FULL where you can also submit comments, should you wish to do so.

Alternatively, you can send your comments by email to planning@bromley.gov.uk and the case officer claire.brew@bromley.gov.uk, quoting the case reference number in the subject  window.  Remember to include your full name and address, or your comments may not be registered.