Kidbrooke council homes plan submitted
Plans have been submitted for 80 new council homes in Kidbrooke.
The plans have aroused some opposition with homes to be built on estate green spaces though £750,000 will be spent upgrading other areas and play parks nearby.
These sites are close to the completed Jack’s Acre council sites designed by Peter Barber. ShedKM are architects on subsequent plots.
Locals have also raised concerns about parking. 47 spaces are provided for 80 homes.
With many households now having more than one car that seems unlikely to stop pressure in the area. In places near the sites pavement parking is permitted yet not all, and not covering the entire paving as sometimes seen.
As a council estate parking enforcement has been outsourced to a private company, and one which sees continual criticism for failing to enforce parking issues borough-wide.
I’ve covered the parking contract before. Greenwich have allowed Wing Parking to retain all parking income from fines in many areas of the borough. This would seem quite the incentive but Wing are barely ever seen in many areas. Relying on them to enforce parking issues in this area is optimistic.
Like many council estates in Greenwich borough, failing to monitor parking is replaced with a large amount of street clutter.
However the application states less than 50 per cent of parking spots were in use during traffic surveys.
A transport report also states: “The pedestrian footways surrounding the site are sufficiently wide, well-lit, and in a good state of repair.” When not being parked on and blocked presumably.
The transport report also classifies Rochester Way cycle lane as segregated. It’s semi-segregated at best with sporadic wands.
Local people’s annoyance is understandable and much is Greenwich’s own making, They’ve barely spent a penny on neglected estates for decades as major new developments are built next door such as Kidbrooke Village bringing millions to council coffers that other authorities use to improve adjacent estates.
This is example #4335 of an estate being ignored as new-builds were built next door exacerbating divisions. It’s almost non-existent to see examples such as this below in Southwark:
And so when the estate’s residents finally get some substantial funding for improved parks it comes with a caveat requiring building over large amounts of greenery.
And so social tenants then moving in then bear the brunt of frustration.
Any building on green spaces seems madness to me but Greenwich are not exactly imbued with common sense. As they own the green spaces no one can stop them abusing the voters….happens all over the borough…rather than buying brownfield sites its easier to build on green land….lucky Greenwich Park wasn’t an option as by now it would be full of housing
Very true Roy.
We need open green spaces!
Also the lack of parking is a huge problem and causes many other problems. Yes we need to use public transport & walk more but there must be proper provision for parking – not just for residents but visitors!
To be fair there are quite a few green spaces in the area. Look at it from the view of those who need a stable home. Me, for example, as a private renter has to up sticks and move every year or two. I have no home security or can be sure where my child will be in school in a few years. Hugely disruptive. I don’t have wealthy parents to put up a deposit and neither does my partner.
What I don’t understand is the small numbers of units which will be built.
I know this area is not the right location for massive towers, but they could have at least built 4 stories high in some locations, to double the units. More council houses are desperately needed!
I agree with you Gustaf. More council/housing association homes are needed for the social rented sector.
I would also like to see more sheltered housing accomodation built in the Borough for elderly and disabled people so they can live in safe and secure accomodation. But sadly Greenwich Council have reduced the number of sheltered housing accomodation units over the last few years.
There are a lot of elderly people living on their own or as a couple in larger council homes as there are not enough suitable accomodation to down size in to. These older people many with health conditions and mobility issues do not want to be housed in tower blocks.
So I totally agree with Gustaf and CDT. There is an urgent need for more social housing to be built by both Councils and Housing Associaitons. But there is also a urgent need for more shelterd housing accomodation for elderly and disabled residents so they can continue to live as indepenently as possible,
The council are looking at building new homes opposite the Kidbrooke Lidl (nearer the station then these homes), why not increase the number there by raising the levels of the blocks by one or two floors instead of ripping up green open space?