Plans to knock down a “hideous” South London former library to build 32 new flats have been approved.
Bexley Council has given developers, BexleyCo, the green light to bulldoze the building and replace it with a new four-storey block of flats in Sidcup.
The topic was discussed at a planning meeting for Bexley Council on Thursday, March 2. Conservative Councillor Howard Jackson said at the meeting that the current library needed to be knocked down, calling the building “hideous”.
He said: “You’ll never convince me that building is worth saving, it’s horrible.”
The plans have received several objections online from locals, with one complaint from council documents summarised as: “The building is too big; the design does not relate to its surroundings.”
Conservative Councillor June Slaughter, who represents the Sidcup ward, said: “The building is too high for this site… Other buildings in this part of the road do not exceed three storeys. Being at the top of a hill, the building will appear extremely dominating.”
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The councillor also said the building was “completely out of character” next to the Edwardian and Victorian houses in the area.
Planning documents from Stitch Architects, on behalf of BexleyCo, said two online consultations with councillors and the local community were held before finalising the building’s design
They said: “Feedback from these important stakeholders has been considered in the design response which seeks to deliver a scheme that is sensitive to neighbours and sits comfortably in its context, bringing high-quality homes, activity and security to this town centre site.”
Conservative Councillor Kurtis Christoforides said at the meeting that he noted the comments of Cllr Slaughter and the “uncomfortable” relationship between the building and neighbours.
He said: “I’m not sure that there is sufficient weight to turn down the application on that basis but certainly I feel for the people that live there.”
Planning documents for the flats said: “The proposed building injects new life into the town centre with a smart and elegant frontage framing the route to the High Street along Hadlow Road.
"It replaces the library building with a confident facade that sits comfortably behind the existing mature trees.”
At the meeting, the planning committee approved the plans to knock down the old library and build 32 new flats on the site.
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