How H.O.M.E RA came about

HOME Residents’ Association started in January 2004. It came into being as a result of community outrage at a planning application to demolish one of the area's fine Victorian villas.

 

The application to demolish it was not the only shock - residents were outraged at what was proposed for the site: a block of twelve very mediocre flats, built  boundary to boundary and covering over half of the garden.

 

Thanks to over 60 letters of objections, a 'Save No 29 with a Tea Party' event at the Field’s home, support of our elected representatives in 2004, Sean Fitzsimons and Mark Watson among others, and above all the residents writing numerous objections the  house is still standing today - as solid as it has been since 1876.

 

In 2006 there was another planning application, to demolish No 40 – 42 Elgin Road and to build a large block of flats in their place.  We got together again and with the help of our MP and in particular our Cllr Russell Jackson we had the application refused. The result of this was also the designation of this area as the East India Conservation Area.  We shall remember Cllrs Russell Jackson, Andrew Price and Maria Garcia as a very dedicated team who worked hard on getting this to happen.

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Proposal for designation went to the Planning Policy Development Sub-Committee, Local Development Framework and Planning, Policy Cabinet Committee on 26th March 2007. The proposal stated:  “The special interest of the East India Estate which we consider is desirable to preserve and enhance is as follows:

 

• The spatial quality and layout of the estate. In particular the strong urban ‘ladder’ structure that provides a consistent and robust framework but allows for local variations in building style.  This combination of strong structure and local variation lends the area a unique local character.  The ladder structure is defined by 6 wide parallel roads of similar length, consistent set back building lines, a significant proportion of original, smaller Victorian plots and building heights that vary but within tolerances of predominantly around 2 to 3 storeys.

• A concentration of listed buildings and locally listed buildings, some of which – such as the red brick houses on Elgin Road, Havelock Road and Outram road – form pleasing groups.

• The historical associations with the old East India Estate and its existing built remnants. 

 

In 2012 there was an unwelcome proposed development at No 19 Ashburton Road – 4 different planning applications.  The last planning application to create 11 bedsits has gone to Appeal with the Planning Inspector in Bristol.  We had more then 70 objections and the Appeal Inspector agreed with the residents and with Croydon Council and refused permission.  As an unexpected bonus – the residents of Ashburton have created a closer community and have become part of HOME Residents‘ Association! 

There have been lots of smaller planning issues and many bigger ones; some we won and some we lost.  However we hope you agree that on the whole our roads look a bit nicer then they did before 2004.  So the story goes on.  The one thread which goes through all of this is a stronger community.