by Dave Burke

dave.burke@essnmedia.co.uk

A bizzare planning study which suggests putting up huge high-rise flats next to the Purley Cross Tesco and the town centre, has been branded a "complete waste of time".

On Tuesday, chiefs from London Mayor Boris Johnson's London Development Agency unveiled three options for building homes in the district.

But the plans have been met with complete bafflement in Purley and seem to have been drawn up without any consultation with residents.

Even the borough's regeneration chief, Cllr Steve O' Connell, said he knew nothing about it.

Although none of the proposals are ever likely to come to fruition, the LDA has denied claims the study is completely useless.

It says it will help plan how to cope with housing an extra 500,000 Londoners by 2026.

But this week Tarsem Flora, who chairs the Purley and Woodcote Residents' Association, berated the LDA for ploughing resources into producing the report.

He told the Advertiser: "I'm not sure why this study was necessary.

"I would have to question why they commissioned it, it's a complete waste of time, money and resources."

And Cllr O'Connell told the Advertiser the council was keeping "the plan at arms length" as the "LDA can't make development decisions".

He said he was unaware of the document, and refused to comment further because he had not read it.

Purley is one of seven town centres in South London highlighted in the document, which says it aims to show how new housing can make districts even more distinctive.

The LDA said it cost £85,000 to draw-up the plans for the town centres.

But it does not state if existing buildings would have to be demolished, how much the proposals would cost if implemented and how funding could be secured.

Last month, a £8m funding bid to turn the Purley Cross gyratory into a crossroads to reduce congestion and build 2,700 homes in the town centre was rejected by the Government.

An LDA spokesman said its plans were not meant to be set in stone but should be used as a planning tool to look at the different kinds of problems in different town centres across London.

He added: "London's housing stock has to grow over the next 15 to 20 years. We need to look at how we can do it in a way which maintains the life and distinctiveness of the different parts of London.

"It's been done primarily to inform a debate about how we can improve housing density in London without repeating the mistakes of the past where people have rushed in and built monstrosities."

Although the study is heavily critical of the Purley Cross gyratory system, only one of the options proposes to make any changes.

IN the LDA report, three possible scenarios are put forward for building housing in Purley.

Option one: This suggests putting up a series of "mews-like developments" – small blocks with three to five floors in the town centre.

It could also give the opportunity for roof-top gardens and family homes.

This could be done without making major changes to the current road system.

Option two: This would see development focus around Purley Station, with a new leisure centre and cinema sitting alongside a number of five or six storey blocks of flats.

The scheme would also see the station car park redesigned to include three underground floors for parking.

Option three: New buildings could wrap around the "big box" of the Purley Cross Tesco.

The existing gyratory system would be scrapped in favour of a T-junction, and would also see a new public square built.

What do you think of the LDA plans for Purley?

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