2a–8 Brambledown Road - 'not a pretty site'

You may have noticed that the houses at 2a-8 Brambledown Road (owned by Churchill Retirement Living) are in pretty sorry state. The properties have been partially boarded up and some garden walls have been knocked down. Cllr Jayne McCoy and I share the concerns that local residents have about what is happening on the site and we have taken advice from Sutton council’s planning department on the matter.

Planning permission is not needed to demolish the garden walls, but the developer must have either planning permission to develop the site or approval in writing from the Council to a method of demolition of the houses to go ahead with demolition of the buildings.

Sutton council hasn't given this permission and, as you may be aware, Jayne and I opposed the planning application from the start. We were pleased when the council refused planning permission for the site - twice!

When I was delivering the Special Focus about the development last week, I also noticed that the site is not properly secured. This is worrying because the site is unsafe but possibly attractive and dangerous for young children in particular. I have asked the council to take this up with Churchill Retirement Living and to insist that they secure the site. I do not think that the council can force them to do so, but I have also asked Mr Richards to request that they tidy up what is a very ugly site at present.