Developer's plans to put a road through Addington Palace Park were dealt a blow last week when Croydon Council asked them to reconsider the application.

A heated town hall meeting of Croydon's development control committee on Thursday, December 6, saw councillors vote to defer the proposals for reconsideration by the applicant, Westmead Business Group.

Westmead were seeking to build an access road through the park from the existing Kent Gateway along a disused drive up to the palace, alongside alterations to the Grade II listed building.

The proposed drive way would have run through the council owned Metropolitan Green Belt park, and past a children's play ground next to the Gateway entrance on Kent Gateway.

Gravel Hill resident Mr Harold Still said: "To put a road through a public park and green belt land would put the children who use it during the summer months and the animals in danger."

Ward councillor Andrew Pelling also spoke against the proposals, saying he had conducted a survey of local residents and found that 306 were against the plans with just 63 in favour.

He said: "Park users and motorised transport just do not mix."

Proposed alterations to current parking arrangements were hotly contested because they involved the removal of the park's tennis courts for use as a car park and reduction of total parking spaces from 266 to just 223.

The chairman of Addington Park Golf Club, a council tenant at the park for 50 years, claimed the club's 750 members would find parking difficult when both businesses held functions.

Mr Frank Hadington said: "We are not registering general objection to the scheme, but the current plan has significantly reduced parking facilities for both parties and it would be totally impractical."

Alterations to the listed building included demolition of former music rooms, addition of two four-storey fire escapes, and three bedrooms in the roof space.

The committee narrowly voted against refusing permission altogether, before opting for deferral back to the applicant.

December 11, 2001 17:00