And another eloquent letter!

Excerpts from one of many letters, in addition to online comments and petitions, urging Barnet to reject the over-development of number 5&7 Middleton Road. Residents also urge Barnet to deal effectively with the unlawful development which continues to fray the fabric of our neighbourhood.

23 November 2011

Dear Sirs,

re: Planning Appeal in respect of 5-7 Middleton Road, London NW11 7NR ref:F/01668/11

We are appalled at the renewed planning application for 8 flats within the two houses at 5-7 Middleton Road, following the rejection of the Appeal against the refusal of the original application, and so write to repeat the objections we made to the original application. We signed the petition which was submitted on behalf of all the residents of Middleton Road, but feel it is important to restate our main, personal objections as follows:

(1) Parking, traffic and safety -8 flats with only 6 parking places would increase demand for parking in the street, which is already beyond capacity. We already have a serious problem resulting from parking in this street, in particular when mothers deliver and collect their children from the school at the end of the road, because already there are insufficient parking spaces.

Should the proposed development be allowed, there would clearly be even more pressure for parking places in an already overcrowded street, because, as we are well aware, 8 flats would probably mean at least 12-16 cars to accommodate, with only 6 parking places envisaged. At present the cars from these houses can park on their own drives. The flats envisaged in the planning application would appeal largely to students and other young people who would tend to share the flats, each with their own car.

This increase in demand for parking places takes no account of the parking needs of visitors to 8 separate households.

It is, of course, completely clear that this increase of activity in a street which currently is largely comprised of sole occupation family houses, together with the increase in parking and traffic congestion which would result, would increase the risk to the safety of the children attending the school.

(2) The proposed development is completely out of keeping for a mainly residential road, currently largely comprised of sole occupancy family houses.

Despite its proximity to Golders Green, this road has remained a relatively quiet family road; this development, if allowed, would lead to a further erosion of the character of this pleasant road, on the edge of the Garden Suburb Conservation Area.

(3) Noise and disturbance - by allowing the development of 8 separate households, which would appeal mainly to students and multi-let properties, there would be a large increase in noise and disturbance resulting from many more visitors. This would lead to a permanent deterioration in the quality of the character and atmosphere of the road.

This is, obviously, only a summary of the main objections we have personally to these proposals. We continue to back unreservedly the objections set out more fully in the petition. Although we note the views expressed by the Inspector in his determination of the appeal against your rejection of the first application, we continue to believe that our objections are sustainable and urge you to reject this application again.

Yours faithfully,

L& K C.