Stoke Newington neighbours oppose building homes in garden

Developer TURN has submitted an application to Hackney Council to build two houses behind 179 Stoke Newington Church Street.

But some people living in Hawksley Road, which backs onto the development site, fear new properties will be built too close to their homes.

Amandla Smith, who has lived in the street for almost three decades, said her garden would be directly overlooked.

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“We have just a small back yard and the new building will be very high,” she explained.

“We live in the house with our daughter and her partner and their child because we understand the pressure on the younger generation for housing.

“But this isn’t about making wonderful properties and it’s the sort of thing that could destroy our neighbourhood.”

Her husband, Ire, added that the site was part of Clissold Park Conservation Area, and not the right place to be building houses on gardens.

“There needs to be a balance between green space and property - that’s what gives Stoke Newington its fabric,” he explained.

According to the developer, the new houses would be three storeys tall but with one floor below ground level, meaning the building would stand lower than nearby homes.

But another neighbour, Henrietta Newman, said she had concerns that the development would set a “dangerous precedent” for the area if it were allowed to go ahead.

She added that she was supportive of initial plans by the developer to convert the existing Grade II-listed house at 179 Stoke Newington Church Street into flats, but that the latest proposals went too far.

“We don’t oppose the house being renovated – we want it to be developed – but this is overdevelopment,” she said.

Developer TURN first proposed converting the historic house, which has been vacant for a number of years but was most recently a Chinese restaurant at ground-floor level, into three flats in 2023.

Last year, a new application was submitted to double the number of flats to six.

The latest set of plans, asking for permission to build two houses in the property’s back garden, were first revealed last month.

“At each stage of the planning process it’s been more and more,” Mrs Newman added.

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Marc Lee, of TURN, has now claimed that the developer has “worked closely” with its immediate neighbours, adding that it is “grateful for the thoughtful feedback so far”.

“We’re a young local family who’ve lived in and loved Stokey for years, we’re excited to bring new life to this unloved corner of Church Street,” he added.

“Our award-winning local architects, Emil Eve - well known for their sensitive heritage work - have taken great care to reflect that input in a design that’s both creative and respectful of the area.

“Our aim is to transform an underused, dilapidated site into sustainable new homes, restore what’s been lost, and contribute something positive to the neighbourhood we call home.”