WALTHAMSTOW: Homeless hostel to make way for social housing

The council is set to sell the building at 33 Higham Hill Road, which is being used as temporary accommodation, to the Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA).

The association plans to build 24 new homes, including six three-bedroom houses, two four-bedroom houses and 16 flats.

After expressing disappointment at the recent refusal of a housing development on the Highams Park station car park, Labour housing cabinet member Cllr Marie Pye pleaded with planning committee members to remember the 6000 Waltham Forest residents living in over-crowded accommodation.

But 30 residents registered objections to the plans.

At the hearing last Tuesday John Gleeson, of Higham Hill Road, said: “This development is alien to the surroundings in terms of appearance and materials.”

Another resident, Liz Rotherford said people are not opposed to the site being used for housing but are concerned about the scale of the development.

Conservative Cllr Ed Northover said there is an urgent need to tackle the “dire shortage” of housing in the borough but described the plans as “building the slums of the future.”

Lib Dem Cllr Bob Wheatley criticised the plans for consisting entirely of social housing rather than creating a mixed development with private homes.

He said: “I thought we were trying to do a bit of each, instead we are building another council estate.”

But Tory Cllr Alan Siggers said there were no reasons for voting against the proposal as the decision could be overturned on appeal.

Council officers say there are enough hostels in the borough to accommodate the people living there and users of garages on the site have been offered alternative facilities.

The plans were approved on condition that ISHA stumps up more than £155,000 for health, education and environmental improvements in the area.

Only Cllr Northover and Cllr Bob Wheatley voted against the plans.

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