Sanctuary's proposals will be considered by Haringey Councils planning committee in due course.

New flats in Wood Green will make residents’ lives ‘more difficult’

by Tim Lamden Saturday, May 26, 2012
3:00 PM

Residents claim that plans to build a block of 66 new flats in Wood Green will make their lives “more difficult” if developers get the go-ahead.

Sanctuary Housing Association wants to build the block, which ranges from two to six storeys high, on disused land in Lymington Avenue, in addition to a number of commercial units.

During a meeting to discuss the plans at St Marks Church Vicarage in Ashley Crescent on May 16, residents raised concerns about the block’s proposed height and housing density.

Hazel Miller, treasurer of Noel Park North Area Residents’ Association, said: “Why do we have to have these blocks on the corner of Noel Park, blocking out our light and increasing the population?

“It makes life for us people in Noel Park more difficult, and life is pretty difficult at the moment. It’s too high and there will be too many people there.

“You’re going to shove people in these little boxes and expect them to live there.”

But father-of-three Tony Conti, 44, of Gladstone Avenue, welcomed the proposals, saying: “We have a house that is so overcrowded and I think it’s a great opportunity for the family to get on the housing ladder through shared ownership. It gives the family some hope because we can’t afford a desposit.”

Jodee Katalanos, Sanctuary’s development manager, told the meeting: “Unless we get this density we can’t make this financially work. This is the optimum housing required to meet the need for housing - there is a huge housing crisis in London.”

Reacting to fears about anti-social behaviour, she explained: “You won’t have gangs. We will make sure that the area houses families because I understand the experience of estates that have anti-social behaviour.”

Residents also criticised the scheme for providing just eight parking spaces, but Ms Katalanos insisted it was national policy to reduce congestion through parking and encourage use of public transport.

The application will be considered by Haringey Council’s planning committee in due course.