Ten Reasons for Objecting to the Planning Application
The Council agreed planning guidelines for the site, which are still valid, with all local stakeholders in 2004. The development is now around twice what was agreed in terms of height, bulk, accommodation & parking.
Key differences include:
* maximum
height of buildings: increased from 8 to 14 storeys.
* total
accommodation: nearly doubled from 30,000 m2 to not less than
54,891 m2 and probably
more.
* car
parking: nearly tripled from 200 spaces to 583 spaces.
* traffic
access: vehicle access is now planned via the residential roads north
of the railway line,
even
though the Council’s original brief said vehicle access should be
from the
* Why
did the Council set and agree one set of guidelines and then support
the developer in
submitting
an application for something very different? The Council owns the site
and it should
have set a better example.
Why did the Council set and agree one set of guidelines and then support the developer in submitting an application for something very different? The Council owns the site and it should have set a better example.
2. Creation of a precedent
Ealing is well known as a residential part of London, featuring low rise houses and flats. If this plan is accepted, how will the Council manage the expectations of future developers (e.g. Glenkerrin)?
3. Out of Character and Scale
The developments proposed are completely out of character and scale with the surrounding town centre area which is predominantly Edwardian architecture and low rise buildings.
The design, bulk and height of the development will blight the Conservation Areas it sits in and borders. The 47 metres (150 feet) height of the 14 storey tower grossly exceeds the maximum 20 metres (65 feet) height for a building in a Conservation area.
The building materials will introduce a bland and nondescript
look to the area that will dominate and detract from the landmark
listed buildings on the same site ie the Town Hall and Christ the
4. Height and Bulk of Development
One 167 metre long building with several high towers, the tallest being 14 storeys and 45.5 metres (150 feet) high will cast a huge shadow across Gordon Road and beyond, especially in the winter.
Six other tall buildings will add to bulk and density of the site and dwarf the neighbouring listed buildings..
The 698 flats that will accommodate over 1,500 new residents will be packed in at very high density on the site. Living space is very cramped, many flats have little natural light and many flats will suffer noise from the railway 10m from their windows.
The development makes no provision for children in terms of play areas.
5. Too many Flats
There will be 698 new flats in residential tower blocks on this site. Some 1,500 new residents might be injected into a very small area. This would be a 25% increase in the local population, with the no planned addition of new public community facilities and no additional infrastructure to support them.
6. No New Infrastructure
So many new residents will put extra
strain on existing local infrastructure such as GP surgeries, dentists,
primary and secondary schools, sewers, Ealing Police and
7. No Community facilities and No Community gain
Despite so many new residents, the development provides no
community facilities, i.e. arts and leisure space, even though the
Council’s guidelines and Tibbalds report recommend it. If the
same developer gave
As part of the centre of a borough of over 300,000 residents, this Council owned, centrally located land should be used to provide community facilities for the all the residents of the borough.
8. Parking, Traffic and Transport
Parking for 583 cars of which 300 are for residents and the rest for shoppers. More parking means more traffic.
All vehicle access (cars and lorries) from just one entrance on
No public access to and from Haven Green to access Ealing Broadway station.
9. Retail
The claims which the developers have made for the Dickens Yard shops
are unrealistic. The retail floorspace in Dickens Yard will
be far too small to compete against the massive new
Their projections of retail growth in Ealing are massively
overstated and contain a number of flawed assumptions. The
new shops in Dickens Yard will be targeted at high spending under 45
year old ‘aspirational’ shoppers, and will ignore the
majority of Ealing’s residents. There are very few of these
target customers in Ealing and most will be attracted by the fifteen
times larger
All the new shops will be tucked away in a sunless and rain-swept area, off the beaten track and underneath huge tower blocks. Why would retailers and shoppers want to go there?
10. Not Part of an
This development does not form a part of an overall development strategy for