Crystal Palace residents feel ‘very, very disappointed’ after Croydon Council rejected a plan for new affordable homes in one of the most expensive parts of the borough.

A local councillor claims the decision means the authority has broken its promise to boost affordable housing in the borough.

The criticism comes after a planning application for seven affordable homes in Upper Norwood was rejected, despite widespread support from councillors across all parties, including Mayor Jason Perry.

The area’s sole Lib Dem councillor Claire Bonham said the decision was ‘such a kick in the teeth to the many local volunteers from the Crystal Palace Community Land Trust (CLT) who have spent hundreds of hours of their own time on this’ after challenging the council over the decision at a meeting last Wednesday (October 9).

The application was submitted by the CLT, a group of local volunteers committed to delivering affordable housing and strengthening community ties.

The proposed development aimed to make use of a small infill site on The Lawns, just south of Beulah Hill, but has now been halted due to an apparent ‘impasse’ between the council’s planning team and the CLT.

The CLT won a bidding process for the building project on the land, owned by Croydon Council, back in 2018. Since then it has received ‘extensive pre-application advice’ from the council’s planning officers before submitting its application in August last year.

The application called for the ‘erection of a part two and part three-storey building to contain seven flats, with associated site alterations including the provision of car and cycle parking and a vehicle turning area’ on land adjoining 36 to 46 The Lawns, Upper Norwood.

The buildings would also have been energy efficient and built to Passivhaus specifications.

However, the plans for these houses on the steep green slope overlooking the borough were rejected by the council.

In its official report published in September, the council said: “The development, due to its poor quality and insensitive flat roof design with externally supported balconies, would visually conflict with the surrounding built form and be harmful to the character and appearance of the area.”

The report also outlined how the plans would result in a loss of light for the numbers 36 to 46 The Lawns. Loss of privacy and disturbance issues arising from the proximity of the public pathways to the neighbours’ windows were also highlighted.

The news of the rejection came as a disappointment to the CLT, who worked closely with the council on the complex application. In a statement, the CLT said: “Our board has put thousands of hours into setting up the Community Land Trust, making sure it is well governed and financially managed.

“We have had countless meetings with Croydon’s elected mayor, cabinet members, ward councillors and council officers, and London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing.

"We’re so proud of how the local community has come together to try and build homes for people priced out of the area.

“We don’t want this effort to be wasted, so we intend to appeal.

"Earlier this year, this council passed a motion agreeing that building more homes, including genuinely affordable homes for rent, is the principal way to address the national housing crisis as it affects Croydon.”

During a cabinet meeting last Wednesday (October 9), Claire Bonham reminded Deputy Mayor Lynne Hale of this motion and asked her how it measures against the council’s recent decision to reject the Lawns plans.

Hale, who was sitting in for Mayor Perry, responded by saying: “I did share your disappointment with the refusal of that planning application. I know the planning team and I had a number of meetings with the trust (CLT), it was something we were keen to move forward but unfortunately, the suggestions that the planning officers made to make it an approval application didn’t meet with the requirements, or vision, of that particular trust.”

She followed up by calling for members of the CLT to meet with her, to discuss ways in which they can move the plans forward.

However, according to Councillor Bonham, this recent decision is counter-productive and does nothing to address the borough’s well-known housing shortage.

Councillor Bonham said: “This is deeply disappointing news.

"SE19 is one of the most unaffordable parts of the borough so this housing was desperately needed – it’s such a kick in the teeth to the many local volunteers from the CLT who have spent hundreds of hours of their own time on this.

"The council has many questions to answer, especially after years of community engagement and close cooperation on the project from the council’s own planning department.

“I challenged the council’s Deputy Mayor to explain why, just five months after being made, the council’s pledge to provide more affordable housing has been broken.

"I urge the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to meet with the trust, support the application and do everything they can to get this vital community project over the line.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “While demand far outstrips supply in Croydon, as elsewhere in London, we remain committed to increasing affordable housing across the borough. We have significantly improved the management of our housing stock and are getting empty homes back into use more quickly.

“We continue to work closely with our housing association partners and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to increase the supply of new affordable and social housing. In addition, we are directly acquiring and building affordable housing which will assist in meeting the housing needs in Croydon.

“While it’s our priority that the housing needs of the borough are met, we must ensure that new developments are well-designed and protect the character of our neighbourhoods. The planning service has advised Crystal Palace Community Land Trust (CLT) on their application design and is committed to working with the applicants on a revised design, should they submit a new application.”