Heard this evening at the Nightingale Ward meeting that a development has been approved on this site.  Sadly the Council totally failed to protect this green space.  As ever the developer's money trumps the will of residents and the myriad planning objections are completely ignored.   The result is not yet on the Planning site itself however:

Council Leader Ravi Govindia even had the gall to suggest that no viable alternatives were put forward.  Of course if the Council had (God forbid!) actually asked local residents how they think the site should be used, a viable alternative that protects green space for use by all could maybe have been arrived at. 

But who wants the messy business of actual constituents getting in the way of the cozy little number with the developer and their cash?

WHAT A DISGRACE.

Dear Jo,
We are sure that you have good intentions, but opposition to this developer could result in "issues" with your Whip.
The actual developer here, is an extremely powerful person/group with complex corporate structures designed to mask its history of destroying neighbourhood assets and communities.
It is well documented on the Internet that there is a large contingent of people who regard them very close to Sadiq Khan.
They own/control all the neighbouring sites, through offshore tax haven structures.
It is a shame that hundreds of hard working tax payers homes are about to be blighted, so that WBC can get £1m of CIL money and profits from the over-development will end up offshore.
The Affordable home provision has also been fudged to look higher that it is.
We observe that the Local Tory Cllrs have made a big display of "getting involved" yet have resisted informing the Residents of their Ward, who the developer actually is.
Perhaps it would be embarrassing for someone to assign a figure to the £millions paid over to WBC over the years by this group, and it might be alluded that the controversy of allowing this excessive development, is now explained. 
The developer/offshore owner provided many "expert" reports, providing the requisite "ticks" to enable WBC to get their CIL and the offshore structure to get away with over double what the previous owner was denied.
We are sure that a very thorough bio diversity Audit has been produced, concluding that it will actually be far more "bio-diversified" once it is all concreted over.
We salute you for your efforts .... if you wish to join the fight to stop it, a good person to speak to regards background would be Siobhain McDonagh MP.
Best of Luck

I've just spotted this headline, "Green light for townhouse development on Balham Bowls Club site" in a journal of luxury property. The piece says that a 28-unit scheme has been designed to recreate a traditional Victorian square.

Here's the link: https://primeresi.com/green-light-for-t ... club-site/

Not surprisingly, I don't have a subscription to this publication...or the budget to be buying luxury properties which sadly those who really need housing don't have either!

Hi

I’m a local resident and Councillor in Earlsfield, for full disclosure.

I also campaign to save our wildlife. This weekend there was a people’s march for wildlife, organised by Chris Packham. We are at crisis point with the threat to losing some of our species forever. Access to nature is vital to our health and mental well being, it is becoming something not available to all. I would encourage people to read http://www.chrispackham.co.uk/a-peoples ... r-wildlife

It contains some great ideas for how developers can support wildlife in an urban environment. For example, adding in bird boxes to provide nesting for birds as more of our hedges and trees are removed.

I am interested if there has been a bio diversity audit on this site to identity what species will be at risk. Is there someone on here leading the campaign against this development who would be able to contact me on cllr.j.rigby@wandsworth.gov.uk.

Thanks,

Jo

Access is from chesnut grove - it’s a good sized area. Planning committee meet tonight- 7.30 at the town hall. I hope the councillors do the right thing and stop this, which they should have protected under their own policies anyway.

Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

https://democracy.wandsworth.gov.uk/ieL ... 4&MId=5801

Thank you. I'm on the Tooting Bec side of Nightingale but absolutely can see that the green space should be preserved in that part of Balham although I still can't picture where it can be accessed from. Does sound like it has been deliberately neglected with a view to sell it off. There is a lovely bowling green in Vine Park in Barnes, disused but still there beside a playground. But that is Richmond council and I'm sure they do things differently there. I could email the councillors to object but will they care? isn't it just so shady that no consultation letters were sent out to nearby residents?
I lost faith in Wandsworth council's willingness to listen to residents after what happened at Chestnut Avenue last year.

It was a used as a bowling green and is directly behind the Balham Bowls club on Ramsden road.

National planning regulations state that other open space uses should be sought for former playing fields unless there are ‘other material considerations’ for not doing so - this part of Balham is considered open space deficient - another reason I would have thought why it shouldn’t be approved.

Hello, I live in the Nightingale ward. But where is this green space? I have never seen it and can't find it when I Google....
what was it used for?
Dies anyone have any information on its past use?

Sarah McDermott wrote: ↑Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:56 amIf any residents would like to contact your Nightingale councillors about this application please email:
cllr.s.mcdermott@wandsworth.gov.uk
cllr.r.field@wandsworth.gov.uk
cllr.i.hart@wandsworth.gov.uk

I hope that you, as our councillors, give this due consideration and that this is not passed for short term financial goals and the CIL you will receive. Over 100 local residents have raised their strong objections to this 'development'. It is vital that our councillors have a long term view and protect these few open spaces not only for current residents but for future generations.

If any residents would like to contact your Nightingale councillors about this application please email:
cllr.s.mcdermott@wandsworth.gov.uk
cllr.r.field@wandsworth.gov.uk
cllr.i.hart@wandsworth.gov.uk

Yep so the council gets £877,468.18 for the CIL fund

What do they spend it on?
Repaving Hildreth St and the area behind Sainsburys multiple times??
 

Goldhawk - you are right - the committee report is on the site now
https://planning.wandsworth.gov.uk/WAM/ ... ageCount=1

Recommendation is to approve with some conditions.

Depressing. I think if it does go ahead the blame should be laid at the door of the council for failing to protect precious open space, even if only potentially publicly accessible.

The council officer is recommending that they approve it 

Revised plans have been posted up on the site - looks like a small playground in the middle, more shared ownership and more money in to the CIL. The council meets on September 19th - presumably to decide?

https://planning.wandsworth.gov.uk/WAM/ ... =2018/1741