Plans for a 126-home development in Waddon have been approved by Croydon planners, despite concerns among councillors about issues of accessibility.

The land set to be used currently holds an unoccupied block off Duppas Hill Road to the rear of Stafford Road.

London Strategic Land are the developers of the project in Duppas Hill Road which include 30 per cent affordable housing. Additionally, 65 per cent will be family homes. None of the housing will be council-owned, which is something the council has come under scrutiny for in the past.

Ross Gentry, Strategic Applications Team Leader praised the development for its eco-friendly design. There are only 0.7 available parking spaces per residence, an amount that can cater to residents’ needs, while promoting “the pedestrian as opposed to promoting the car.”

A secondary school will also be situated at the site’s north end in the future, but that will be a seperate application.

Gentry emphasised at the meeting of Croydon planning committee that it is “critical to ensure that the school portion of the site is adequately safeguarded.”

He told those present that the Busy Bees Nursery, which the development would be built around, had “confirmed in writing that this wouldn’t have any impact on their operations.”

Skeptics of the plan’s details included Councilor Paul Scott, who asked: “Are we confident that the access arrangements are acceptable?” Others were also concerned about access, including the possibility of the school preventing any re-thinking of access routes in the future. 

This is despite the current plight of nearby St Andrew’s School, which faces financial difficulties due to a decreasing number of students. 

The plans were approved with the added condition that access to the site be available from Duppas Hill Road during the construction period; to minimize disruption to residents on Stafford Road or around Old School Place.