Residents in a south London neighbourhood are up in arms over a development that could put a townhome entrance on their dead-end street. About a dozen homes dot Cowan Crescent in South London. The tree-lined street is calm despite its proximity to heavy traffic. “You wouldn’t know that a stone’s throw away is Commissioners and Wellington,” said Nick McCallum, a resident since 2023. “We kind of pulled up to the house, and we were like, ‘I think this is it!’ before even stepping in.” But now McCallum and his neighbours worry their quiet life is about to be interrupted. A small piece of land, at the end of the circle, is at the centre of their worries. Although a city planning sign disappeared within a day of being put up, a space between two homes is proposed as the entryway for a new townhouse development. “I mean, you would just never assume something like that’s going to happen,” said 48-year resident Joe Svilpa, who lives just three doors away. Anger over the development extends beyond Cowan Crescent into the Lockwood Park neighbourhood. Lawn signs are up, and a petition has already reached 200 signatures. “There are 300 people in this neighbourhood really upset about this!” exclaimed Svilpa. At the front of the lot to be redeveloped is a home on Commissioners Road. The residents inside tell CTV News they sold to a London firm in 2023. As proposed, the new development will initially include 11 units. But over time, four more could be added once the home occupants decide to move on. For years, they’ve come and gone using Commissioners Road. And that’s exactly what the residents on Cowan want to see continued if the townhouses go ahead. “I would prefer something like that as opposed to access from this circle,” said Svilpa. McCallum added, “I think just having the entrance off Commissioners is really the biggest thing that’s sticking right now. You know, if you want to put that in, okay, but having access off Commissioners is really the biggest thing.” The residents state they are working with councillor Elisabeth Peloza, who represents the area. She did not respond to a message Monday from CTV News. The residents have also retained their own planner who has prepared a 12-page report outlining reasons why the application should be modified or denied. Svilpa says many are obvious. “We don’t want more traffic, more people, parking problems. It’s unfair to do this to people. I’m really amazed the city would even consider it.” A public meeting on the proposal slated for Dec. 1, was recently cancelled. A new date has not been announced.
