by Dave Burke

dave.burke@essnmedia.co.uk

One of Croydon's most controversial planning battles has sparked back into life, after proposals were lodged to build 92 new homes on a historic site in South Norwood.

The fresh bid to build three blocks of flats and 20 houses, where Cumberlow Lodge used to stand in Chalfont Road, has been submitted to the council.

As well as the housing, the latest plans also include a proposal to construct a care home and a day-care centre.

The site was once the home of renowned philanthropist William Stanley, who died 100 years ago this summer.

Developer Fairview New Homes sparked outrage in December 2006 by knocking down Stanley's house without consulting with neighbours.

This application is the latest in a string of bids to put up homes on the site.

In February last year, the Planning Inspectorate threw out an application to build 155 flats on the site, which is at the back of Harris Academy South Norwood. Croydon Council had already rejected the scheme the previous June.

In December 2007, another bid to build 133 new homes was also rejected.

This time around, the scale of the development has been scaled back considerably.

Derek Bunning, who chairs the Cumberlow Lodge Residents' Association, said: "We're in the process of coming up with a response to this.

"There's still a lot of resentment over the way they behaved, but we've got to look at where we're going, we can't live in the past.

The association is set to hold a meeting at Stanley Halls in the next few weeks for residents to voice their views.

Historian John Hickman is not sure if residents will ever get over Cumberlow Lodge being demolished. He said: "It was an important building that was suddenly demolished the weekend before it was due to have an order put on it (making it a listed building). There was a lot of ill feeling."

Fairview declined to comment this week.