Over the past few years HADRA has come to appreciate that most residents moved to this area because it offered a good quality of life. Although it is fatal to generalise, much of the quality relates to the low density of buildings as well as to large gardens and extensive areas of green space. HADRA has focussed strongly on protecting this low density by opposing all planning applications which infill gardens. We have also opposed extensions and buildings unsympathetic to the Tudor and Tudorbethan style of existing houses. Such development, apart from destroying the lifestyle qualities that resident’s desire, also runs the risk of reducing housing values over the longer term.

 It is important to note that HADRA is not opposed to sympathetic extensions and development overall, and understands the need for change. Clearly, what is sympathetic or otherwise is always open to question and with a desire to be transparent, this document has been prepared and published on the website to outline how HADRA has reached its current stance.

 The first part of the document relates to our research completed on the most extensive development in the HADRA area, initially called Coulsdon Court Estate. This means that roads outside this 1930’s area, and buildings erected subsequently, are not included, in part because no information has been located. We welcome any information residents can provide on these omissions, perhaps from old house deeds.

 The first part of the document is principally on the history of the HADRA area, much of this sourced through Bourne Society documents, for which we are grateful. It is followed by the information we have located about the development of the housing and the ecology. From this we have identified the qualities sought by the initial developers and, in most cases, these form the current HADRA aspirations. It is important to note that none of these qualities can be enforced! We hope that residents will see the logic in the HADRA approach and that they will give their support.
 

The text above is the first page of a document written by our
Transport and Environment Representative,
Ken  West, MBE.
We have placed the full document under the link
below and we hope that you will agree on the
 principles of this document so that
HADRA can continue to PROTECT AND
ADVANCE THE COMMON INTEREST OF THE AREA