Happy new year? Part 2: St James St

Next up are little-publicised plans to build up to eight storeys in St James Street - it's near the station and we think it's on the site that's currently occupied by the health centre.

The development is in two phases. The first (planning application 2010/1635) is for a new health centre with 19 flats on top. The second (outline planning application 2010/1636/OUT) is for another two blocks of flats with shops on the ground floor. Both planning applications are for "four to eight storey buildings".

Four to eight stories makes it sound fairly modest. But bear in mind that it's two or three times the height of the surrounding area. The only equivalent height in central Walthamstow is Tower Mews, opposite Walthamstow Central station (nine stories) and we all know what an ugly sore thumb that is!

Click on the application numbers above for more info. And you can object online here (the site address is 47 St James Street E17 7PJ).

Finally, we got the info from the rather wonderful Planning Alerts website - highly recommended for alerting you to planning applications in your area and making it easier to respond to them online.