Plans to build 93 affordable homes for older people in Cheshunt have been unanimously rejected by Broxbourne Borough Council’s planning committee, with one councillor saying the proposals looked like Enfield Crematorium and would “remind” residents of “what’s just around the corner”.
At their meeting on Tuesday (29 July), councillors went against a recommendation from officers to approve the scheme, which would have included a three-storey block of 71 flats and 22 bungalows for people aged 55 and over.
The flats would have been available at 60 per cent of market rents, while the bungalows would have been available under shared ownership.
But the committee unanimously backed a proposal from Cllr Yvonne Mobbs to reject the application.
She said: “When you look at these pictures, it just looks like a crematorium.
“How can we put our elderly residents living in something that will remind them of what’s just around the corner?
“I don’t think these buildings are very picturesque. It just reminds me of Enfield Crematorium and, I’m sorry, I just can’t want to put our elderly people in these buildings.”
The entire site, a playing field to the south of Goffs Lane and to the west of Churchgate, was allocated for older people’s housing in Broxbourne’s Local Plan, the blueprint for development in the area. The field was previously used by St Mary’s School, which has since been relocated.
Access to the new homes would have been from Goffs Lane, as agreed in the Local Plan.
Cllr Mobbs proposed refusing planning permission on the grounds of “inappropriate use of land, the impact on the area, it’s not in keeping with the area … it’s too big, it’s overlooked and there is going to be a problem with flooding”.
The applicant had revised the application to remove four bungalows after Hertfordshire County Council’s flood department objected last December. The objection had since been withdrawn.
But several councillors continued to raise concerns at yesterday’s meeting about potential issues, including Cllrs Sherrie McDaid and Carol Crump.
Cllr Crump was worried about “the loss of green space, which is all too prevalent in every council area”.
A public speaker, David Taylor, told councillors the site was a “closed landfill” and claimed the risks had “not been properly evaluated”.
The Environment Agency had not objected to the proposals, but had suggested conditions requiring the developer to investigate the land for contamination and provide a remediation strategy.
Robert Henderson, representing applicant Anchor Hanover Group, said: “Anchor is going to build … and operate the proposed development as assisted living for older people, and all 93 of the properties we’re proposing will be affordable homes.
“This level of specialist affordable housing for older people is clearly unusual and a massive social benefit. It far exceeds what your adopted policies would otherwise require.
“The development is low density and it will retain a parkland setting.”
The block of flats would also have included a community room on the ground floor for use by residents’ groups.
Each bungalow would have had its own parking space, with 58 additional spaces for the flats.
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