I have held off posting my personal opinion on this application partly because I wanted to hear other peoples' views, and partly because I have found it quite difficult to make a decision about this. While SE23.com is not a perfect way to hear the 'view of SE23' it is a good way to hear some of the different opinion, it has also been interesting to read the comments of some of the people living closest to the site and discussing all the views with the Forest Hill Society planning committee.

These are my personal opinion and not those of the Forest Hill Society planning committee, and I doubt I will not please either side of this debate with some of my comments.

I admire Jeff for his taste and determination and for finding one of the ugliest building in Forest Hill for his proposal. It is a site that desperately needs redeveloping and Jeff has an eye for seeing potential in sites (such as the whole of Havelock Walk). I still disagree with him about £shops and a few other issues but he can't be right about everything

When I first saw Jeff's designs, over a year ago, I was not impressed; the vision of empty containers stacked on top of each other was the first thing that sprung to mind. But that was based on a black and white sketch that gave little indication of Jeff's plans. Looking at the new graphics I can begin to appreciate what Jeff is doing, but this is as much about art as architecture and I don't really feel qualified to talk on either subject (although I will defend the right of people to have opinions without being experts, and for those opinions to be heard).

If I lived next to this proposal I'm sure I would be objecting. Six storeys is out of context with the neighbouring houses, which are themselves out of context with the larger Victorian buildings further down, and the detached houses across the road, and the varying styles of blocks of flats from the 60s - 00s. I share Satchers views on enclosure of the entire front of the site, and I don't think Jeff's personal experiences (nasty though they are) should prompt everybody to build fortresses round their houses. The existing fence round the site is ugly, and I suppose that Jeff's boundary might look a bit nicer, but it will be taller and more imposing on the house to the south. A bit planting could easily remove it from view but there is the consideration of light levels even though the application site is to the north of its adjoining neighbour. I would far prefer a lower boundary to this site.

I am concerned that this 6 storey development may set a precedent for future buildings on this street and neighbouring streets. I think this would be entirely inappropriate as the Berkerley Homes development on Perry Vale demonstrates that even 5 storey blocks can be too tall for most streets. The thin nature of the building (from street view) is very different to most 6 storey buildings which are wider than they are tall (or at least significantly wider than this). I might suggest that it would be better if it were smaller at the top than the base, with more built on the Hinsley Place site to provide the same amount of living accomodation, or to remove the second house on Hindsley Place that is part of the plan. But I suspect that the height it something that is part of making the statement, so it is unlikely to be something Jeff would change in his designs.

I have deliberately left out some of the other concerns that I know neighbours have, but have not voiced on the forum. Since I am not a neighbour it is difficult for me to judge some of these issues, I think they have some valid concerns, and I would at least want to know which windows and balconies would be opaque. I could probably guess, but I don't believe this has been included in the planning application's documentation. But there are other ways that this development will impact the direct neighbours.

More than anything else I would like to see what this looks like when built, as I can't believe that somebody who has the choice to live here would deliberately build a new house for himself that was not to the highest artistic and architectural standards. Had this application come from almost anybody other than Jeff, I would probably conclude that it was a monstrous carbuncle! (what would I know, I'm not even royalty) But it would be extremely foolish to take Jeff out of the equation when trying to judge this application. He has the experience and vision that can make this work and the Lowe Tower could well be a notable part of Forest Hill built environment.