Mayor of London urged to stop Sudbury car park sale

Liberal Democrat councillor Anton Georgiou and former council leader Paul Lorber have written to Sadiq Kahn urging him to use his powers and intervene.

Landowner Transport for London, which Mr Khan oversees, plans to sell the Station Road car park to the developer Pocket Living, despite local opposition.

Local neighbours urge TfL not to sell the car park at Sudbury Town Station to developers. Picture: Jonathan Goldberg (Image: Jonathan Goldberg)

Paul Lorber has called on the mayor to withdraw the car park from sale and enter into discussions with local people about "sensible alternatives".

He said: "The selling of the whole of the car park and allowing almost every inch to be built on is irresponsible and very unfair on local residents.

"There seems to be a total disregard for the needs of local people by the mayor and a change of direction is needed."

In June 2020 Brent Council's planning committee refused a revised application by Pocket Living for 59 flats on the car park, which would remove all car parking on the site except for three disabled spaces for users of the station.

The previous month, the application, supported by Brent officers, was deferred, despite councillors initially voting to reject the proposal.

Pocket Living has now appealed the refusal decision and a planning inspector will hear its appeal and has the power to approve the application.

Mr Lorber inspected the station car park "on many occasions" before lockdown and found "around 20 to 35 cars parked there in each occasion".

He said: "Many of the users of the car park are elderly or disabled people or families of young children who cannot now access the station on the 245 bus since London Buses, also under the mayor's control, stopped the regular service to the station.

"A responsible mayor would stop the ill thought out sale and listen to local people who will have to live with the consequences."

The mayor's office has been contacted.