I have been in contact with the owners of Victoria House in North Cheam asking them for details of their plans for the eyesore building. They have sent me a copy of the presentation that some residents saw at the council’s recent Local Committee. The building is a very different design from the one that received planning permission a while back. Split into two, the new proposed building is designed to allow sunlight to enter the rear windows of the homes that face Church Hill Road. The intention is to allow the buildings to step up to a peak rather than one monolithic block sitting between lower buildings.
A public consultation will be held in May where residents will be invited to make comments before a planning application is submitted shortly afterwards. It is difficult to make a decision on the aesthetics of the building from these drawings. However it would seem that we are not going to get the landmark building that befits this important site. We all want Victoria House sorted as soon as possible, but not at any cost. Have a look and do let me know what you think.
Not sure what looks worse, the ugly looking buildings or Victoria house?
Yet another concrete monstrosity! Why can’t they build nice looking buildings anymore?
It’s irrelevant what the proposal looks like as nothing will happen until someone can convince Ladbrokes to vacate the premises!!
I too think this looks pretty awful. What I don’t understand is why when the borough is short of school places and medical services are we creating lots more homes. Surely this will compound the school and medical shortage further? Is this not an ideal site for another school or medical centre. Or both? I’m sure a few homes could also fit too. But do we really need to squeeze in almost 100 new homes, to an already overpopulated under-serviced area.
There should be a time limit on how long a developer can “sit on” a disused property before doing something with it. Landowners snap up bits of land when cheap with no intention of changing that land until it makes sense financially for them to do so. Are the owners waiting on the possibility of a station being built there, or a Homebase, or a car park? Someone should contact the relevant authority about whether there is a time limit and whether fines can be issued?
This truly is replacing one monstrosity for another it really amazes me how councillors can look at these plans and think they are acceptable. When are we ever going to have someone to represent our local area with balls.I am really frightened for the area if this planning goes through.