Substantial changes to controversial plans to redevelop an industrial site in Myatt’s Fields are being demanded by our local Labour councillors.

The old Lilford Road Business Centre has been the subject of plans for redevelopment from a company, AG Bloom.

While welcoming the idea of bringing new jobs to the area and creating a fresh start for the dilapidated buildings at the business centre, local councillors have been concerned that the proposals to let 24 hour delivery vehicles move to and from the site could result in a huge increase in traffic in the heart of a residential area that Lambeth Council has itself acknowledged is a congestion and pollution hotspot.

The developer has already been forced to make significant changes following a campaign by councillors and local residents.

The threat of a high-intensity food delivery service – condemned as “madness”– has already been headed off. The developer has submitted a revised application that bars these so called dark kitchen outfits from operating out of the new commercial units, and restricts delivery times to 7am to 11pm – a significant change to the original proposals which would have allowed 24-hour weekday deliveries.

But Councillors Gadsby and Gallop say the compromises don’t go far enough and will press their case at next week’s Lambeth Council Planning Committee meeting.

They want further assurances that businesses which move into the Lilford Road Business Centre won’t damage the local environment or leave the local community with a nightmare of high traffic and pollution. They insist that operational hours should be restricted further. They will also urge the council to ensure that landscaping and greening plans are part of the development.

The councillors said:

“It is encouraging that the developer has moved some way to addressing the concerns of residents and local councillors. As we have said during our initial comments on these proposals, we do believe it would be madness to have a high intensity delivery service in the heart of a residential area that Lambeth itself has acknowledged is a hotspot for traffic problems. The borough has committed to spend significant public funds to address the current issues around Lilford Road, Loughborough Road and Myatt’s Fields park and we are extremely concerned these proposals will work against these plans.

“We will be attending the Lambeth planning committee meeting on Tuesday, 9 May to ask for further restrictions on delivery hours from the site. There are other improvements we would like to see, including more effort from the developer to work with local community groups to enhance the landscaping and greening plans attached to the development.”

The Lambeth planning committee will be taking place on Tuesday, 9 May from 7pm: the agenda for the meeting is here.