crowded housing on small sites

This information is sent by the Peckham Residents' Network.

The email below explains an important survey of local views on the London Mayor's proposal for a "presumption against" housing developments in back gardens and to prevent the demolition of "sound buildings of character" to be replaced by poor quality flats.

Well worth completing.

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=cwwwwd9oeo6pb70368516
____________________________________________

Sent on behalf of Valerie Shawcross AM, London Assembly Member for Lambeth & Southwark

Dear Resident

NEW PROPOSALS TO PROTECT CHARACTER OF LOCAL HOUSING - YOUR VIEWS NEEDED

I am writing to ask for your comments on possible new proposals to protect the character of local streets, stop development on gardens and prevent whole streets of houses being converted into bedsits.

Mayor Ken Livingstone has announced that he will be seeking powers to change the capital's planning guidance so that there is a "presumption against" housing developments in back gardens and to prevent the demolition of "sound buildings of character" to be replaced by poor quality flats.

We need new homes on brown field sites but the economic pressure to build bed-sits and flats at the expense of family homes in established communities has increased significantly in recent years. In my view we cannot go on losing whole streets of Edwardian and Victorian houses - perfect for housing families - to make way for bedsits and studio flats. We need to give communities and Councils the power to decide the balance locally between the need for family homes and the demand for flats and bedsits. London has many attractive, green and characterful areas which are not listed, protected or part of conservation zones. But nonetheless we should be able to stop whole scale redevelopment, which ruins the character of the area.

Having pressed the Mayor on this issue, I am delighted that he is now seeking to use his London Plan to give councils the teeth to refuse these inappropriate developments and decide locally what the make-up of our housing should look like.

I would be very grateful if you could spare a minute or two to let me know your views on this by completing my online survey here http://freeonlinesurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=cwwwwd9oeo
6pb70368516

Kind regards
Valerie Shawcross AM
LONDON Assembly Member
Lambeth & Southwark