TfL housing plans in Kidbrooke go to appeal

Greenwich’s Planning Board recently rejected plans by TfL to build homes in Kidbrooke and the issue will now go to appeal.

The rejection of TfL’s plan came after a number of proposals to increase the number of homes and height of forthcoming Kidbrooke Village housing blocks were approved both in 2015 and subsequently.

TfL plans

TfL plans contain a higher percentage of “affordable” homes than the Berkeley plan and would have seen income re-invested in the capital’s transport network.

The Planning Board rejected TfL’s scheme labeling it too dense and highlighting a lack of transport options yet did those issues also apply to previous Berkeley applications made since 2015?

For example, in June 2018 at the “Village Centre” Block E in Berkeley Homes’ Kidbrooke Village a plan was permitted to include extra flats.

In early summer 2019 Berkeley consulted on increasing totals yet further with these transport claims:

The 12-car train claim is optimistic. There is no confirmed order for new trains. Even if there is, Network Rail propose just four additional carriages across the entire peak period in 2024:

Click to enlarge

That’s just a five per cent increase in five years time.

When rejecting TfL’s plans, 853 reported that “Eltham MP Clive Efford said the area risked looking like the centre of Lewisham – but without the transport links.”

New Kidbrooke tower

Some would say density is already extremely high with numerous tall blocks – so what’s the difference between Berkeley Homes being approved since 2015 and TfL and Notting Hill being rejected?

And if TfL was rejected presumably the next Berkeley Homes application, based upon this summers consultation, will not proceed?

The TfL scheme certainly had flaws and contained more flats than Berkeley latest phase yet many reasons given for rejecting that scheme would also seem to apply to prior Berkeley Homes plans which were approved.

One fundamental issue here is the continual delay to upgrade Southeastern Metro services and provide many more 12-car trains.

CORRECTION: The first draft of this story claimed Greenwich Council’s Planning Board approved an overall increase in homes last week. In fact the decision was originally made in 2015 and last week’s revision was for internal space allocation and not total homes. In part this came about due to the total home increase being mentioned in last week’s planning application plus numerous other planning applications made since 2015 to vary the 2015 plan, alongside other alterations to previously agreed totals such as that approved in June 2018 to increase homes in block E.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

3 thoughts on “TfL housing plans in Kidbrooke go to appeal

  • What was it they call Greenwich Labour party? The Berkeley Homes party?

    It would be astonishing for outsiders to witness a Labour council approving plans from a huge company that makes a £1 billion profit each year and being put above a public sector organisation run by a Labour mayor but there you go. Less surprising for those who know this borough.

    I don’t like the TfL plans but a bit of a nerve to approve Berkeley Homes just weeks after all the complaints local councillors and MPs raised against TfL housing plans. [EDIT: Berkeley Home’s plans were approved before TfL’s were rejected].

    Congestion? Check.
    Height? Check
    Transport pressure? Check
    Affordability? Check check check

    Reply
    • This story is completely untrue.
      I am Chair of PLanning at Greenwich and we did not agree last week to increase the number of units or the height of the Berkeley Homes development at Kidbrooke in any shape or form. The story is fabricated.
      Please will this site retract this story.

      Reply
      • Hi,

        It’s been edited to show that last week only alterations to existing 2015 plans were made – though it does highlight increases made since such as in 2018 and that Berkeley Homes have recently consulted on increasing totals further.

        Reply

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