Adult Education Centre to make way for 42 homes on Poverest Road
Plans for 42 new homes on Poverest Road in Orpington have received planning permission, although the development is not yet certain to go ahead.
The £23.7 million scheme forms part of Bromley Council’s Bromley Homes for Bromley People programme and would see the existing Poverest Adult Education Centre site redeveloped for new family housing.
However, construction remains dependent on a separate decision about the future of the Adult Education Centre, with a public consultation expected to take place in September.
With the proposals already generating considerable local discussion, here is what we know so far.
What Is Being Built?
The proposed development consists of 42 two, three and four-bedroom affordable homes, made up of semi-detached and terraced houses.
Each property would have its own private garden, while five of the homes would be designed to be wheelchair accessible.
The proposals also include a new publicly accessible landscaped open space and community green, cycle parking and new pedestrian and cycle routes connecting the development with Tillingbourne Green.
The development would require demolition of the Poverest Adult Education Centre and 18 Church Hill Wood.
The total cost of the scheme is currently estimated at £23.7 million, with Bromley Council saying it has secured £4.8 million in grant funding from the Greater London Authority.
Who Will Get the New Homes?
This has already been the subject of some discussion locally, so it is important to be clear about what is proposed.
Bromley Council says the properties would remain in Council ownership and would be let to Bromley residents on the housing register.
The Council says the development will help provide homes for local families while reducing the amount it currently spends placing homeless households in expensive nightly-paid temporary accommodation.
If built, we will be keen to see if these really end up as Bromley homes for Bromley people.
What Happens to Poverest Adult Education Centre?
This remains one of the most significant unanswered questions surrounding the development.
Although planning permission has been granted for the housing, the decision to close Poverest Adult Education Centre has not yet been made.
Bromley Council is proposing changes to the way its Adult Education services are delivered, which would include closing the Poverest centre and providing courses from a range of locations around the borough.
These could include libraries and Children and Family Centres, while the Kentwood Adult Education Centre would undergo a major refurbishment.
The Council says there is no planned reduction in the overall Adult Education service under the proposals.
However, some people associated with Poverest have already expressed concern about losing a dedicated centre and the effect that dispersing courses between different locations could have on existing students.
A public consultation on the future delivery of Adult Education services is expected in September.
Only after that consultation and consideration of the responses will a decision be taken on whether to close the centre and proceed with the housing development.
Parking Concerns
Another issue already being raised by residents is parking.
The plans provide 29 parking spaces for 42 homes, alongside cycle parking.
Bromley Council says a Transport Assessment was undertaken and that the proposed level of parking is considered appropriate given nearby public transport, services and existing parking provision.
Nevertheless, with the development predominantly consisting of two, three and four-bedroom family homes, some residents have questioned whether 29 spaces will prove sufficient and whether additional vehicles could instead end up parked on surrounding roads.
That concern is particularly relevant because Church Hill Wood, which would provide vehicle access to the new development, already has unrestricted parking on both sides.
Next Door to Poverest Primary School
The proximity of Poverest Primary School has also been considered as part of the plans.
The existing access from Poverest Road would be retained for the school and pedestrians, while vehicles accessing the new housing would use Church Hill Wood.
Bromley Council says construction traffic would also avoid school drop-off and collection times, with the Poverest Road entrance rejected as the principal construction route partly because of concerns about pedestrian and pupil safety.
The Council says it has consulted school staff and involved pupils in workshops relating to the design of play areas.
As with parking, however, residents will inevitably be watching closely to see how additional housing and construction activity affect an area that is already particularly busy at the beginning and end of the school day.
What Happens Next?
Despite the granting of planning permission, there will not necessarily be 42 new homes built at Poverest Road.
The key next stage is the consultation over Bromley’s Adult Education service.
If the Council ultimately decides to retain Poverest Adult Education Centre, the housing scheme cannot proceed in its currently proposed form.
If the closure goes ahead, the development would be able to progress subject to the remaining requirements attached to its planning approval.
That makes the forthcoming consultation particularly important — both for people who currently use Poverest Adult Education Centre and for residents living around the proposed development.
We will update this story when further details of the consultation and the Council’s eventual decision become available.