A COMPANY has been praised after it lowered the number of flats it planned to build in a landmark pub development in order to avoid creating affordable housing.

Residents living near the former Bull & Crown pub on the Green in Chingford are happy some cheaper homes will not be created alongside luxury properties on the site because they are worried who would have moved in.

There is a chronic lack of affordable housing in Waltham Forest, but affluent Chingford is largely unaffected by the problem.

Developers Atlantic Housing originally planned to build 12 flats behind the pub, which was renamed the Bull on the Green after being closed down following a drugs raid.

But, under current regulations, this would have meant the company would be obliged to build a certain amount of affordable housing, leading to concerns that it would be difficult to sell the luxury apartments.

To avoid meeting the quota, and with the agreement of nearby residents, Atlantic lowered the number of units.

The company has now applied for permission to demolish former living quarters and staff rooms at the rear of the building to create the luxury flats.

Chris Whitbread is one of the residents who regularly met Atlantic to discuss the plans.

The 60-year-old said: “At the last meeting with the developers they said they wanted to reduce the units to alleviate social housing.

“They said they would find it hard to sell the flats at £450,000 each if there was social housing next to them.

“We have all been going to meetings with the local planning authority, the police and the developers about the plans.

“Originally they planned to have more units, but they have cut them down.

“The residents around here don't want social housing on the site because we don't know who will be put in there.

“It was one of the concerns we raised. We weren't keen on the pub reopening. But it has a different clientele now which is older in the evenings, and mums during the day. Private housing is the best use for it.

"We don't want any social housing there.”

Cathy Branch, from the Woodland Road Residents Association, said: “I think having social housing on the site was probably an issue for them because it would affect the sale of the flats.

“It is not popular with other people. There is not much other social housing here. It would isolate the people living there.

“They want that development to be luxury housing. We want it to be developed, fit for purpose and take in the needs of the people living near there.”

Atlantic Housing refused to speak to the Guardian.

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