RESIDENTS against controversial plans to build homes on the former Harold Wood Hospital site have taken their cause to London Mayor Boris Johnson in a last ditch attempt to revoke the planning decision.

About 100 people living in Harold Wood including Cllr Brian Eagling (Residents’ Association, Harold Wood) took their campaign to prevent 810 homes being built on the former Harold Wood Hospital site in Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood on Monday November 8 (today) to City Hall.

Cllr Brian Eagling said: “This is the last chance for people living in Harold Wood because if Boris Johnson says yes to changing the decision then that would be great, but if he agrees with the decision made by the committee then we will have no other option but to live with it.”

The residents were not able to meet with Boris Johnson, but they presented 4000 handwritten letters to the Mayor’s Office objecting to the application.

Cllr Brian Eagling also left a note for the Mayor calling for a meeting where the matter could be discussed in more detail.

Cllr Eagling said: “I hope that Boris does take up our offer to hold a meeting with me and the residents because we believe that we have been treated badly over the whole thing.

“We went through the process without any proper consultation from Countryside and we think that we deserve a say in something that is going to affect us.”

At a regulatory services committee meeting on Thursday October 28, the committee agreed for Countryside to build 810 homes including 526 flats on the site despite objections from residents and a protest by 500 people outside the meeting.

But residents argue that the final decision will now be made by Boris Johnson so believe that they have one last chance to change the decision.

They argue that the development is too overwhelming for Harold Wood and that the rail station and the schools in the area would not be able to cope with a sudden influx of people.

The residents want the number of apartments on the site to be reduced so that it is more in keeping with Harold Wood.

Resident Cat Trinder said: “I think it is very rare that residents go to Boris Johnson’s office so I think that shows the reason our community is worth protecting.

“Hopefully when all the letters come on Boris’s desk he is going to realise that we are not willing to back down.”