A group of neighbours has come together to campaign against a six-storey development which will leave them living in the shadows.
Local residents close to Hollybush, East London, received a handwritten letter in August from Pocket Living, a real estate developer, announcing its plans to construct 73 one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment in the parking lot of the Snaresbrook underground station, forcing residents to park elsewhere. Pocket Living said the block would have a shared roof garden and that the flats would be “100% affordable”.
But residents of Hollybush have formed the Real Snaresbrook campaign group to oppose the erection of the six-storey building close to where they live. One reason is that they feel the structure will tower over their gardens and prevent sunlight from reaching their homes.
The group is led by local neighbours David, Sadiq, Scott, Ricky, and Mike, from Hollybush Hill.
The group is also concerned about the effect the development may have on emergency services. Sadie said, “The road to the entrance is so narrow and small that one wrongly-parked car could prevent the fire crew or ambulance services from accessing the flats. The details undoubtedly tick the boxes, but for what purpose? We have a lot of practical concerns such as this”.
However Pocket Living claims the development will include clearly-marked routes for vehicles and pedestrians so that emergency vehicles can reach the location, and so that people on foot can move about freely.
Scott is concerned about the effect of the development on his mental health. “Imagine a person living on top of you like that…. the local community as a whole is opposed to this construction with, I believe 95% of the residents signing a protest message”.
This is not the first time these building societies have tried to rebuild the neighbourhood. David recalled that Redbridge Council tried to build 44 new homes back in 2018 but that the plans fell through.
The new flats will be offered for sale at 20% markdown from market value and limited to local first-time buyers who work or live in Redbridge. Nevertheless, according to Real Snaresbrook, none of the new homes will be accessible for social and affordable rent, despite the borough having more than 7,500 people on waiting lists for housing.
Edited by Nadrine Narku