Plans for dozens of new social homes at two estates have been approved - despite concerns being raised by existing residents.

Four three-storey blocks providing 30 social-rent homes will be built on the car parking and storage shed spaces of Arundel Court and Baldewyne Court in Lansdowne Road, Tottenham.

At a Haringey Council planning sub-committee meeting last Tuesday, objector Rorie Ash, who lives on the ground floor of Baldewyne Court, said the development would reduce sunlight and overlook his kitchen window as one of the blocks would be built facing his flat, two metres away. 

In response, council officer Richard Truscott said that as Rorie’s kitchen was separate to his living and dining rooms, it didn’t meet the definition of a “habitable room” and sunlight was not as much of a priority.

Rorie was also raised concerns over waste collections and said he was worried “noise, accidental damage to walls, and disturbance” would be created as refuse collectors navigated the “series of narrow alleyways formed between the new and existing buildings”.

But Richard said some of the “through routes” would provide access to the bins stores which would be secured with “steel gates and fences” and he was “confident they will be very rarely used”. 

Following a debate, council officer Robbie McNaugher agreed to include noise mitigation for gates in the application and a co-production group would consult with residents on the bin stores which [in future] could be subject to a separate application. 

Committee member Cathy Brennan raised concerns about building on the two estates’ former car parks as they were “very well used” when she visited.

Cllr Brennan said: “Do we know how many spaces are currently used by the residents, what will happen, will they simply lose their parking spaces and park on the streets?”

Maurice Richards, the council’s head of transport and travel, said parking surveys had been carried out and between the parking provided in the plans and on-street parking the impact “at worst” would be limited. 

He said: “What the plan is showing us is there is sufficient capacity for the local area to absorb that demand.”

Together the two estates have 63 parking spaces at present, but this will be reduced to 31, with 18 spaces for Arundel and 13 for Baldewyne. 

Cllr Brennan also asked whether there was much demand for one-bedroom flats, which would comprise seven of the 30 new homes proposed.

Kevin Tohill, an officer in the council’s housing delivery team, said there were “added incentives” for residents who downsized, such as changing property banding. 

He said: “People who downsize create a larger accommodation elsewhere within the council’s estate, and that strategy applies here.

“Also there are thousands of people currently on the housing waiting list and there are a significant number of single-person households and households only needing one bedroom, they too will be prioritised.”

When it came to the vote, all councillors on the committee voted to approve the project.