If you look at the proposed layout a very large proportion of the developed area is taken up by the access drive and car parking. The housing units themselves are tiny as are the gardens which are of the absolute minimum size.

See here:

http://acolnet.lewisham.gov.uk/ACOLLATED...261_10.pdf

To me the proposals are unsympathetic, unimaginative and an overdevelopment of what is currently an attractive green space.

The Design and Access Statement also contains the wholly misleading statement that "Attention must be drawn to the fact that the proposed development makes the very best use of a (sic) existing brown-field site".

This is not correct because the site is in fact garden land and I believe that garden land is no longer classed as brown-field for planning purposes.

Check out the post code SE23 3LB on Google maps for a bird's eye view of the site:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?#

It will be interesting to see how the Lewisham Planners respond to this application as their track record on garden grabbing is pretty appalling.

It is probably no coincidence that you will be hard pressed to spot a single reference to "garden grabbing" in any official planning document issued by Lewisham. They prefer to use the phrase “back land development” which is of course far more opaque.

Another worrying factor is that I have never seen the Lewisham Planners consider the cumulative effect that garden grabbing can have on an area. If this development is permitted how long will it be before a similar application is made for the land behind 109 to 111?