A housing association has been granted permission to build twelve affordable flats in a former car park in Marlow.

Buckinghamshire Council has permitted the charitable housing association Red Kite to build a one-storey block of twelve one and two-bedroom flats for mixed social rent and shared ownership housing in Foxes Piece, Marlow.

The site of the future development consisted of four garage blocks until a few years ago when they were demolished, leaving the land to become an informal car park for other residents.

It will be located within the Foxes Piece estate, a residential area adjacent to Foxes Piece Primary School, where Red Kite already manages a number of social housing properties.

The plans were originally put forward in February 2021 but were only approved earlier this month, following a legal agreement between the council and Red Kite stating, among other things, that the developer will not begin construction until they submit an Affordable Housing Scheme to the local authority.

Other conditions of the Local Planning Authority’s decision include a development start date within three years, a Construction Management Plan detailing the projected impact of the work on local traffic and highways and a landscaping scheme to compensate for the loss of some trees in the construction.

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23 letters of objection submitted to the planning portal by residents since 2021 highlight concern that the development could bring little besides “more traffic, noise and cramped living conditions” to Foxes Piece and that it would create a “building site in their back garden”.

Some local assenters also drew focus to the loss of current parking space, although in its final form, the permitted proposal offers one space per flat, at least six visitor spaces and at least 27 spaces to be used by residents in surrounding properties.

In 2021, Angela Tavener wrote: “As a resident of 17 years, the parking at Foxes Piece has become increasingly worse year by year. The spaces you are providing are not adequate for residents and new residents.

“We already have to contend with the (members of) the public parking here and walking into Marlow to shop and work.”

The planning decision notice also stipulates the submission and council approval of a comprehensive car parking scheme, the installation of 13 electric vehicle charging points and a surface water drainage scheme detailing plans to manage flood risk.

Plans for six flats with associated parking and landscaping submitted by Red Kite for the site back in 2018 were previously rejected because the development could jeopardise highway safety and fail to adequately mitigate surface flood water risk.