Gareth Davies

gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk

A FORMER council hopeful's plan to build flats on an Addiscombe estate has been met with fierce opposition from local residents.

Dr Anwar Ansari, former vice-chair of Croydon Central Labour Party, wants to pull down a bungalow in Longheath Gardens.

The developer – who also owns former pub The Leslie Arms, in Lower Addiscombe Road – saw a previous development proposal collapse five years ago.

Now opponents to that plan have vowed Dr Ansari has another fight on his hands.

So far 55 out of 83 local residents sent letters by the council asking for their comments on the scheme have written back objecting to it.

Ian Leonard, who is leading the campaign, said: "We have a list of very serious concerns about Dr Ansari's proposals.

"Firstly, it's out of keeping with the rest of the area. A two and three-storey block would look completely out of place.

"Of more concern, however, is the impact this would have on already limited car parking spaces.

"Then, for those who live directly by the house, there is the issue of privacy. The flats would be overbearing and intrusive."

Dr Ansari plans to pull down the bungalow and replace it with a two and three-storey block, comprising five two-bedroom and three one-bedroom flats.

He first applied for permission to convert the bungalow into flats in 2005, but he withdrew the application unexpectedly.

Dr Ansari also faced opposition when attempting to redevelop The Leslie Arms.

Members of the council's planning committee rejected the plans to convert it into a building made up of a three-bedroom flat and business space.

In March the independent Planning Inspectorate rejected an appeal because the flat would have failed to provide a "suitable standard of accommodation".

Dr Ansari previously had designs for a place on Croydon Council. The property developer was selected to stand as a Labour councillor in the local elections in May 2006. But Labour's National Executive Committee later vetoed his candidature, without giving a public explanation of the reason.

Mr Leonard, who has lived on the Longheath Gardens estate since 1958, hoped he had seen the last of Dr Ansari's bungalow plan five years ago.

"I think the number of residents who have objected to this plan shows the strength of feeling against what we believe is a wholly inappropriate development," he added.

It is understood the application will go before the council's planning committee on June 25.

Dr Ansari invited residents to approach him with their concerns.

He said: "We are trying to fill the gap for much needed accommodation in the borough, especially at the low end of the market. We have addressed many of residents' concerns about the nature of the development and the impact on parking in our planning statement."