Wheatsheaf, York Hill, planning to turn garden into a car park

Loughton Residents Association, supported by Hills Amenity Society,  is taking strong exception to plans by The Wheatsheaf public house to turn  the gartden opposite the pub into a car park having extended the outside seating area to what was car parking space by the erection of a fence and now a paved area. Your views are welcome.

David Linnell of LRA gave this report to the Hills:

What’s happening: residents have told LRA that the pub wishes to extend its outside seating area at the front of the pub, and to transfer parking to the garden opposite. There are some wire fences up at present on the forecourt. The District Council say that the construction of a wall less than 1 metre high on the pub forecourt is allowed; it will be rendered to match the appearance of the pub, along with the existing wall around the patio area. Unfortunately no.15 York Hill isn’t included on the schedule of properties covered by Conservation Area provisions (“Article 4 Direction) covering boundary treatments and hard-standings.

LRA’s view: the garden is within the York Hill Conservation Area (CA), and is a noted and pleasant entry feature to the York Hill and Staples Road CAs. Since the pub last changed owners, we have noted a vast expansion of parking in the area, often obstructive, and so we think that the existing forecourt parking should be kept. We are also concerned about the trees on the site.  The pub will be applying for planning permission to convert the garden into a car-park – the LRA Plans Group (and others) will no doubt put in strong objections to this