Bromley residents fear for 'obscene' amount of new builds

South east Londoners have called out what they see as an "obscene" amount of building, as well as commenting on the ten-year construction timeline.

Riverside and Countryside Partnerships kicked off the construction of the 275-home Calverley Close estate in Beckenham earlier this month.

The construction is expected to take 10 years.

The first building in the 170-home Pike Close redevelopment in Bromley has also marked its 'topping out', an event attended by local councillors, Riverside and Countryside colleagues, and current residents.

Commenter Waz Nez said: "The level of building in South East is obscene.

"They're literally concreting over the whole region.

"All this is doing is creating very unsustainable conditions.

"Without the implications on environment which is bad enough, where are the new hospitals?

"New schools?

"New GP surgeries?

"All they are doing is packing people in as many as possible to as small a space as possible."

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Elgee Faure agreed, saying there was "no mention of infrastructure to support these builds".

However, James Cooper, a current resident of Calverley Close, seemed excited about the prospect of new builds.

He said: "I live on Calverley Close, so it will be nice to finally see something being built."

Riverside and Countryside Partnerships marked the start of construction on the Calverley Close estate earlier this month (Image: RiversideUK)

Both developments got Bromley Council's go-ahead in 2022 and 2023, aiming to meet current Riverside customers’ needs.

All existing Riverside tenants have been guaranteed a home in the rebuilt estates with protected rent and tenancy terms.

The new Calverley Close estate will offer 275 homes, including 255 apartments spread across six blocks, and twenty townhouses.

Out of these, 179 are reserved for social and affordable rent, while 96 are for private sale.

However, one Bromley resident Steve Richards said that some of the houses should instead be reserved for the "thousands of homeless people on the streets these people need housing urgently".

Some residents were concerned about the time scale of construction, with the Calverley Close estate set to be finished by spring 2034.

Danny Whiting joked: "275 houses over 10 years?

"Who is building them?

"Sloths?"

Mike Woolliscroft, London Divisional Chair for Vistry Group, said that, in partnership with Riverside, they are delivering the extra homes to "meet the considerable need for housing in the area".

He added that the group is working "tirelessly" with residents, the council and the wider community to bring "these visions to life".

A spokesperson for Riverside said: "Calverley Close is part of our wider ambitions to improve quality of life for our existing customers and future generations. 

"The timeframes have been agreed with the community and are necessary to minimise disruption for our residents. – a key request and promise as part of the ballot that residents overwhelmingly voted in favour of. 

"The regeneration of Calverley Close will deliver 275 much needed new homes, with existing customers guaranteed a new home, with protected rent and tenancy terms."

They added: "We are proud that local residents have helped shape the plans for their new homes. 

"These new homes help us to meet the housing needs of existing and future customers, providing modern, spacious, and energy-efficient homes with better security and accessibility."