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Council Agrees Plans
Bexley Council have agreed planning permission for a large mixed-use development at Norman Park.The Norman Park Site (or ‘Imperial Gateway’ as the site is marketed) is located to the south of the A2016 at the junction of Eastern Way, Bronze Age Way, Yarnton Way and Picardy Manorway. The overall site area of the application site is 4.8 hectares and falls within the Belvedere Employment Area.
Outline planning consent is sought for a mixed use development comprising a five storey 87 bed Travel Inn and a public house, petrol filling station, food retail outlet with Class A2/B1 unit adjacent, fast food outlet, restaurant (class A3), health and fitness studio, offices (Class B1(a) and 402 residential units. Provision for ancillary car parking, new access and landscaping. The application identified that Siting, Access, Design and Landscaping were not matters for future consideration and that ‘External Appearance’ was the only matter to be reserved for future consideration. It also outlines parking provision for 300 parking spaces.
The proposal also provides landscaped amenity decks including a LEAP (Local Equipped Area for Play) and LAP (Local Area for Play) play areas for the residential blocks and in the far north east corner of the site an open kick around space. Landscaped mounds and other areas of landscaping are proposed around the northern, eastern and western site boundaries. On the southern boundary of the site (which abuts the existing established residential areas further to the south of the site) is an extensive buffer landscaped mound varying in width from 5m – 15m
Belvedere Labour Councillor Daniel Francis has warned of potential problems ahead. He spoke at the meeting held on 21 September 2006, and asked for his concerns regarding potential flooding, odour problems and height densities to be taken into account.
He said “There have been three serious flooding incidents to nearby properties in North Road, three times in the last since 2003 due to the failure of the local Thames Water pumping station. I do not want new residents on this development to have to suffer the same problems, because of a failure to rectify this localised flooding issue.
In addition, I am also concerned that when residents moved into the newly built Poppy Close development in 2001 that no proper assessment had been taken of local odour issues from the Crossness sewage works.
Finally, every effort must be taken to protect existing local residents particularly as the new development is higher than existing properties and every effort should be taken to shield out the new development for these residents.”
Following the consent of the Council, the application has now been refereed to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for approval. Council officers have advised that the application will only be approved on the condition that Thames Water’s annual odour assessment due to be published in October 2006 shows that there have been significant improvements in odour nuisance for local residents.
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