WALTHAMSTOW: Concern over new high-rise bid (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAMSTOW: Concern over new high-rise bid

4:00pm Thursday 13th January 2011 in Waltham Forest News By Daniel Binns

CONCERNS have been raised about proposals for another high-rise development in Walthamstow.

Campaigners from the Fight the Height group - which is also currently battling against plans for a hotel tower block by Walthamstow Central station - have criticised the bid to construct two buildings up to eight storeys tall in St James Street.

Private company PHCC East London Ltd wants to build a health centre in one of the units with 19 flats above, with shops and 45 flats in the other structure.

The application states that both blocks, which would be at the junction with Brunner Road, could be four to eight storeys tall.

A spokeswoman for Fight the Height said: "Four to eight storeys makes it sound fairly modest. But bear in mind that it's two or three times the height of the surrounding area.

"The only equivalent height in central Walthamstow is Tower Mews, opposite Walthamstow Central station, which is nine storeys, and we all know what an ugly sore thumb that is."

The company submitted the application to the council just before Christmas and the authority did not register it until Wednesday December 29.

4PM UPDATE: The original consultation period for this development expired on January 10, according to the council's website. The plans did also not appear to be on any weekly lists and campaigners were not alerted to the application until this week.

However the consultation period has this afternoon now suddenly been extended until January 31.

The Guardian is awaiting an explanation from the council for the change.

A council meeting to discuss the scheme is set to be held later this year.

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