I think Baggydave has made an excellent point and it is worth remembering that the site is actually three different sites combined into one for the purposes of this planning application.

15 to 17A Tyson Road are large semi-derelict Victorian houses which have been owned by the Developer for many years. Similar properties in Tyson Road have been converted into flats and are very attractive when properly maintained. There is more history of these houses to be found on the Flickr site under the Profile tab.

http://www.flickr.com/people/tysonroad/

The land behind 53 Honor Oak Road is a mixture of woodland to the east and west with a derelict brick building (the Cottage) and about 20 lock up garages (which are also derelict) sandwiched in the middle. Access to this part of the site is down the steep single track lane between 39 and 53 Honor Oak Road.

The final and largest part of the site is the land behind 39 Honor Oak Road (the Christian Fellowship Centre). This land is best described as a small park, it contains many fine and healthy trees and it has never been built on.

Given the disparate nature of three elements of the site it really makes no sense from the perspective of either design or density or environmental protection to adopt a "one size fits all" approach to development.

I know that views on what would be an acceptable development vary considerably but I don't want to comment on that at this stage.

However, you may be interested in knowing that when we were doorstepped by the Developer's PR Consultant we asked why the Developer had chosen and all flat development. The answer? The foundations for buildings on the site will be so expensive that it makes no sense to build conventional houses. In other words an all flatted development maximises potential profit.