'It's going to destroy the area' (From Watford Observer)

Residents' anger at plans to build in Oundle Avenue, Bushey

12:00pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News By Amie Mulderrig, Features Writer

'It's going to destroy the area'

Fuming residents have vowed to fight plans to build eight houses metres from their homes, claiming proposals are a gross overdevelopment of the road.

County Group has submitted plans to Hertsmere Borough Council to demolish 61 Oundle Avenue, Bushey, and build a replacement bungalow, together with a new access road to seven new houses - two five bedroom and three four-bedroom detached properties, and two semi-detached four bedroom houses.

This latest submission comes months after the housing giant was given the green light to demolish 47 Oundle Avenue and build five detached, two-storey four bedroom houses on land to the rear of 41 to 51 Oundle Avenue, and a further detached two bedroom bungalow on the site of 47 Oundle Avenue, with associated parking and access.

But resident Cecile Styles has vowed that she along with her neighbours will fight County Group "tooth and nail" to prevent the development from going ahead.

Mrs Styles, 58, who has lived in the road for 20 years, said: "We would’ve fought the first application they submitted if we knew about it - but we didn’t, we were not informed.

"This latest proposal is a gross overdevelopment of the road - it’s a road full of picturesque bungalows - how can they build a load of two storey houses overlooking us?

"It’s going to destroy the area, the design is completely out of character with what is here.

"A number of residents were approached and asked to sell a portion of their back gardens to make way for the new builds.

"Now this road is divided in more ways than one, with some residents profiting from others’ distress - it’s not particularly neighbourly.

"This build will be an invasion of our privacy. We don’t want to look at large houses and we don’t want to be overlooked by them.

"There are also issues with regard to parking and access. Not only is it difficult to park here as it is, but more houses means more cars and potentially more visitors' cars.

"Heaven help us if an emergency vehicle tried to get down here, they wouldn’t be able to.

"Then there’s the fact that a lot of the land here is made from clay, so there will be issues with subsidence and drainage.

"Residents not backing this will also be subject to noise and general disruption - not just with the building, but when the road is dug up for utilities.

"The developers have not taken into consideration all of the residents’ views. "The impression we’re getting is it doesn’t matter that we’ve lived here for years on end, we’ll just have to like it and lump it."

According to Mrs Styles, residents fighting the proposals appear to be in the minority, because they have not sold off their back gardens. Mrs Styles along with several other residents are currently in the process of putting together a petition in a bid to halt the development.

County Group representatives however deny the proposed build will have an adverse effect on the area.

Simon Patnick said: "Residents must be misunderstanding the plans, there is no overlooking, there are stringent guidelines in place that prevent us building directly on top of people’s homes.

"As for parking, under the parking directive, we have complied fully and there are an adequate number of spaces for current and new residents.

"We deal in quality builds and don’t believe these plans are out of character, in fact we firmly believe it will add to the value of residents’ homes, it’s not a case of a square peg in a round hole.

"The last thing we want to do is make residents unhappy."