Going Going ....................Gone

10.38.38pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 6th Apr 2007

44 & 46 Snakes Lane West, 2 lovely Victorian semi-detached houses are to be demolished. Despite the objections of local residents, the Regulatory (Planning) Committee, which met on Wednesday 28th February, decided to approve McCarthy & Stone's revised plans to build a 3 storey development of 21 retirement apartments with 9 parking spaces. Liberal Democrat councillors on the Committee dissented.

44-46 Snakes Lane West - for the edification of Tory Councillors on the Redbridge Planning Committee

Historic houses define the character of our area and are irreplaceable. We have recently lost the oldest surviving house in Woodford, Little Monkhams, to fire damage in the early hours of Monday 8th January, the day before the Planning Inspectorate inquiry was due to decide its future. Now the oldest houses on Snakes Lane West are to be demolished. One of the councillors at the meeting on 28th February admitted that he had not even seen a photograph of the houses!

Local residents had made their objections clear to the Council. 150 Woodford residents had signed a petition organised by Focus editor Anne Crook against the original plans for 28 apartments. In addition 32 residents from Linden Crescent and Snakes Lane, who are immediately affected by the development, had signed a second petition against the revised plans. They objected to the height of the development which will overlook neighbouring properties, the density of the development, the lack of parking spaces, only 9 spaces for 21 apartments including staff and visitors, and the lack of a guarantee from the builders that boundary trees and shrubs would be preserved. Anne also spoke at the meeting

The week before the Regulatory Committee met, Marc Walker wrote an article in the Ilford Recorder saying that Council Officers had already determined that planning permission should be granted provided that a certain conditions were met. He reported that Council Officers had said that the site was not in a Conservation Area and that the plans were sympathetic. So what was the point of the meeting if the fate of the houses had already been decided?

We question whether those councillors who approved this planning application have any interest whatsoever in local democracy and the opinions of local residents.