COMMUNITY leaders say they have a "lack of confidence" in the draft Cousldon Masterplan, due to key missing details and mistakes.
The Coulsdon West Residents' Association (CWRA) has written to the council to say it is "extremely disappointed" by aspects of the authority's published plans for the redevelopment of the town.
The document, published in February, outlines the development of key sites in the town centre – in sync with the 650 homes to be built on Cane Hill.
In their formal response to the council, CWRA committee members pointed to assumptions in the plan based on "non-existent" or flawed data, especially over traffic flows.
They raised particular concerns about access routes between Cane Hill and the rest of Coulsdon, saying this was the "number one concern" from their residents.
They said they "cannot support" a proposed access route into Cane Hill from Portnalls Road, running down the west of the site, until more detailed traffic analysis is carried out. The association was represented on a group set up by Cane Hill developer Barratt to have a say in early long-term discussions on the site.
Its letter now asks for an urgent meeting with councillors and traffic planners to look-in depth at the access routes. Members also noted "with dismay" the lack of detail over the proposals for Lion Green Road, where a supermarket and health surgery is planned for the current car park.
Both CWRA and the East Coulsdon Residents' Association (ECRA) have also questioned how enough school places will be provided, and their traffic impact.
CWRA chairman Richard Thurbon has called on the council to provide full details of an education strategy.
ECRA said it would support returning the former Smitham school building, now the CALAT centre, to a school.
Its chairman Charles King said: "As this building still has its classrooms, assembly hall and playgrounds intact and could be converted back to a school very quickly, this would be far cheaper than finding a new site to build a new school."
The council's strategic planning committee was due to meet last night (Thursday) to look at plans for Cane Hill and for a proposed Aldi supermarket on the site of the Red Lion car park.
Turn to page 20, for more from CWRA chair Richard Thurbon.
