Dickens Yard

14 Dec 08 The latest news from the GLA Planning Decision Unit is that the Dickens Yard application is still withdrawn, and is not down for the next Mayor's planning meeting on 17 December (last before Christmas).  The first date of the new year which it could possibly go to is 7 Jan, but as it hasn't been resubmitted it doesn't have a timetable yet. 

5 Nov 08 Ealing Council accepts Dickens Yard Application

Although the Council has approved the Dickens Yard application, it must now be ratified by the London Mayor. He has 14 days in which to Accept or Reject the application but he could make his decision before the deadline. We urge everyone to write to Boris TODAY and send a copy to Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor responsible for Regeneration and GLA Member for LBEaling and LBHillingdon.

 

Mayor of London -  email: mayor@london.gov.uk

Richard Barnes, GLA Member -  email: richard.barnes@london.gov.uk

Please write to Mayor Boris Johnson.  Ask him to REJECT the application - it ignores 3000 objection letters, recommendations from English Heritage, CABE and its own Conservation Group, and local and national planning policies and guidelines. It sets a precedent for other developers. Send a copy to Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor and GLA Member for Ealing. Email 'Letter to Boris' leaflet to your contacts and Write to Boris Now!

WHAT TO WRITE, You may: 

1. Send your original Objection Letter and introduce it by saying that the revised application did not address your original concerns so you urge him to reject it. Be sure to make the subject line states: LBEaling Planning Application P/2008/0156 Dickens Yard

OR,

2. Send a brief standard email with: 

 

Dear Mr Johnson 

Subject: L B Ealing Planning Application P/2008/0156 Dickens Yard

I wish to register my opposition to the plans for this critical development in the heart of the town centre, for the reasons explained to you by Save Ealing's Centre. Please send it back to Ealing Council for further consideration. 

Name: ................................................................ 

Address: ............................................................ 

Post code: .....................

 

OR,

3. Create a new email/letter by taking key information provided in the 3 letters below that have already been sent to the Mayor.  Make sure the subject line states: LBEaling Planning Application P/2008/0156 Dickens Yard.

SEC has written to the Mayor to urge him to Reject the application Read SEC's Letter to the Mayor as has Central Ealing Residents Association (CERA) Read CERA's letter as has a local resident Read Resident's Letter.

WRITE TO BORIS! and to RICHARD BARNES NOW!

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

NEW AMENDMENTS to DICKENS YARD Planning Application 

The Council has notified 60,000 households that revisions have been submitted by the developer St George to the development of the Dickens Yard site. Comments must be in by 13th October.

SEC has reviewed these amendments.  In our opinion, the changes do not satisfy the objections we raised in the original application. The height and mass still remain as do the number of residential units. Review a Summary of the DY Amendments here.   

Although all our first letters of objection are still valid, SEC will be submitting a further letter stating that the objections made previously still stand. See SEC's Comments on the Amendments  and SEC's suggested  New Objection Letter.  We encourage you to do the same. Write to Steve Austin, Planning, Perceval House 14-16 Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 or email him at planning@ealing.gov.uk  and quote ref. P/2008/0156  or make your comments online athttp://www.pam.ealing.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=99621

 

* * * * * * * * *

Save Ealing's Centre (SEC) analysed the original plans in depth and came to the conclusion this development for 7 high rise towers with 698 flats and 1500+ new residents is wrong for Ealing.  Read the original SEC Objection Letter.

We all must lobby our councillors to insist Ealing Council puts together an overarching integrated development plan, that combines residential, retail, transport, infrastructure and community facilities for Ealing Town Centre. This will attract the right type of developer for our prime sites and ensure that the developments, as a whole, will provide the right mix of facilities that will make Ealing the centre of the community once again.

 

 

Introduction  

Dickens Yard is the largely poorly maintained car park situated behind Ealing Town Hall and the shops on the north side of New Broadway. The 4.4 acre site is bounded to the north by the railway lines, to the west by Longfield Avenue and to the east by Christ the Saviour Church and Christ Church Junior School. The land is owned by Ealing Council.

 

In April 2008, developers St George submitted a Planning Application for a predominantly residential development in Dickens Yard. The red silhouette below illustrates the effect.

Dickens Yard Proposal is the The Wrong Solution

SEC is opposed to this development, for 7 high rise towers accommodating 698 flats and 1500+ new residents, and is leading a campaign to stop the Planning Application being accepted by the Council's Planning Committee. SEC's main objection to the Dickens Yard proposal is that it is simply OVERDEVELOPMENT.  These proposals are similar to those submitted in 2007 by Glenkerrin for its 'Leaf' / Arcadia site.

SEC has carefully studied the Dickens Yard plans, compared them with the Council's 2004 Site Brief for Dickens Yard, assessed the facts and concluded that this development is NOT GOOD FOR EALING. Please read our Access & Traffic, Residential, Scale & Architecture, Retail, Arts & Culture, Sustainability and Socio-Economic analyses by selecting the topics from the menu on the left.

On 5th June, English Heritage submitted a letter in response to the St. George Dickens Yard Planning Application, to Ealing Planning and stated '...that the application should be recommended for refusal.' . 

If this application is approved it will set a dangerous precedent for 'bigness' in the centre of our town. This will no doubt lead to the building of lots more buildings which according to English Heritage exhibit 'incongruous scale, composition, silhouette and proportion'. 

In July 2008, the Government's advisor CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) joined English Heritage in finding fault with the St George proposals. CABE has informed the Council that they are not supportive of the current planning application from St George as they do not consider that the proposals gave the 'quality of living environment' now expected of such developments.  The full text of the letter will be publicly available online at CABE's web site shortly. 


Interestingly, The Times 8th July issue had an article headlined 'Good design builds safer societies'. This was an interview with Richard Simmons, Chief Executive CABE where he says that "better design is the answer to almost all our social problems - or at least, a significant part of it."  Read the full article, called Designs for a Better Future, at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/public_sector/article4282824.ece