Comments on Application 22/02506 - Culpeppers, 53 Lower Cookham Road

Construction of 5 x dwellings with new access off The Avenue, following demolition of the existing dwelling and annexe.

 

We objected to the previous application (22/00252) for this development in April 2022.

The description of this re-application is inaccurate in that it infers that the 5 new dwellings will have access off the Avenue. This is not the case and indeed the scheme itself is unchanged from the previous application, with a terrace of 4 x 4-bed town houses fronting Lower Cookham Road, and a single similar dwelling to the rear - accessed from the Avenue.

As stated in our previous letter of objection we welcome the proposal for family homes on the site, rather than flats. However, in spite of the numerous photographs of examples of flatted blocks in the Riverside area, it is clear that in the immediate vicinity the height, mass and density of this development would overshadow surrounding properties. The submitted illustration of the east facing elevations clearly indicates the height compared with No 51 to the south and No 55 to the north. The two storey block of apartments at No 51 was designed with a shallow pitched roof to minimise the height of the ridge line. The third storey accommodation in the roof space of these proposed dwellings results in an excessive ridge height. They are built so close to the side boundaries of the site that they will result in considerable overshadowing of neighbours, esp. No 51.

The front garden / amenity space of the Lower Cookham Road  frontage is dominated by hard standing for parking and vehicular movement. Although 3 spaces are provided per dwelling, the undercroft spaces may not be large enough for many vehicles. The sheer number of dwellings requires parking and movement space for 12 cars.

Historically there have been issues with the access to the rear of the site from The Avenue. The standalone dwelling to the rear increases the overall density of the development, and results in the reduction of the garden amenity space for the proposed dwellings throughout the development. Parking is provided for a further 3 cars.

Although flood related and ecological issues have been addressed in this new application, this scheme is essentially unchanged and represents a height, bulk, mass and density that is unacceptable and out of character with the neighbourhood. If permitted it would create a dangerous precedent as illustrated by Green Trees on Widbrook Road - indeed quoted as an example within this application.

 

 

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