Extracts from the Review
Plans for a major development of eighty new houses on a site in St Albans were described as ‘hilarious’ at a council meeting on Tuesday night where they were turned down.
Councillors on St Albans District Council planning committee criticised the plans to construct 80 dwellings, including one, two and three bedroom apartments and flats, at Evershed House in Alma Road.
The application put forward by Spen Hill Developments also proposed demolishing five commercial, industrial and storage buildings, building a food superstore with a cafe, seven shop buildings on London Road, and make space for 477 car parking spaces in Inkerman Road and Alma Road.
Since the plans were put forward, concerns have been raised about the small number of homes which will be affordable housing and the impact on the conservation area.
Residents from Alma Road and Inkerman Road expressed their concerns about the excessive height of the proposed buildings, lack of privacy, loss of sunlight, loss of views and the impact of the on-street parking.
Mark Whittan, representative from Spen Hill Development addressed the meeting, which was chaired by Councillor Tom Clegg, for three minutes with his reasons for putting the “imaginative” application forward.
He said: “I would urge you to side with the 300 plus people who attended our exhibition, the eight families that can move into new quality properties next April coming off of your housing list and the persons with learning difficulties that can be housed in London Colney.”
In response, Councillor Joyce Lusby,said : “Three bedroom houses certainly goes no way to solving the housing problem in St Albans for social housing. Three bedrooms and 80 houses is no way at all adequate and we set our sights on 30 per cent social housing and to allow it to be on site at 9 per cent, I think is hilarious and so wrong.
“And then for the speaker to say at the end if we refuse it will go on for a long time because they will go to appeal, well I almost see that as blackmail.
“That is not the issue here and the social housing issue is the main one to my account and the overlooking of Inkerman Road.”
Another councillor, sitting in on the meeting also said the planning applications would not solve the problem of a lack of social housing in the district.
The planning application was refused with five councillors voting against the application and only one councillor voted in favour.