Park being replaced with a block of flats? Post Reply

[krystyna]

Last Saturday a group of residents got together for a clear-up in the Gowrie Road Pocket Park. The results are impressive. There is still time to voice comments on the Planning Website and WBC have now given the public till 17 March because their site notice was late in going up. Even after that date they will receive comments up until the time Mr Ian Smith's report is completed.

https://planning.wandsworth.gov.uk/WAM/ ... =2017/0631

So far 88 objection comments have been received and one letter of support.

The reason the previous application (2016/5528) was turned down is summarised in this letter dated 19 Dec 2016 from Mr Tim Cronin (WBC Assistant Director Planning & Transport) to Avis Appleton, agents for Languard Investments, the developer:

"Reasons for Refusal :

1) The proposal, by reason of its excessive scale and massing, would be an over prominent and incongruous feature within the streetscape of the location resulting in unacceptable harm to its established spatial character. As such, the proposal fails to accord with policy DMS1 of the WBC Development Management Planning Document 2016 and guidance contained within the Housing Supplementary Planning Document 2015.

2) The proposal, by reason of its failure to provide adequate dedicated amenity space, harmfully reduces opportunities to improve the health and well-being of its future occupiers while failing to mitigate the environmental impacts of development in general. As such, the proposal fails to accord with policies DMH4 and DMH7 of the WBC Development Management Planning Document 2016 and guidance contained within the Housing Supplementary Planning Document 2015.

In dealing with this application the Council has implemented the requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework to work with the applicant in a positive and proactive manner and the Council has, as far as practicable, sought solutions to problems arising in relation to dealing with the planning application. We have made available detailed advice in the form of our statutory policies in the Local Plan consisting of the Core Strategy, Development Management Policies Document, Supplementary Planning Documents and where appropriate the Site Specific Allocations Document as well as offering a full pre-application advice service, in order to ensure that the applicant has been given every opportunity to submit an application which is likely to be considered favourably. In addition, where appropriate, further guidance was offered to the applicant during the processing of the application."

So it seems the applicant is given a lot of help from WBC who still own the site. Meanwhile members of the public who have requested to see the planning application 1960/11092 which relates to the earlier planning application for this site from 1960 have been totally ignored (up to now) by the Council. WBC have a duty to securely store (on microfiche) previous planning applications and make them available to the public for viewing on request.

The changes the developer have made in their new application 2017/0631 have been to set back the top floor to try and give the impression of less height and bulk to the building and in doing so they have created two new large terraces on the top floor. They have got rid of all the balconies and in reconfiguring the internal layout of the building have got rid of one flat.

[ChristopherP]

It’s a small dead end space covered in concrete not grass and no one could ever reasonably describe it as a park or green oasis.

I'm not sure WBC could reasonably argue this is 'covered' in concrete. Whilst there is no grass, the space is more than 60% greenery and has four mature trees on it. The areas is not only green but has no building which opens up this corner creating a feeling of space in our built up borough.

I find it very frustrating WBC would take the time to highlight failings in the upkeep of this area rather than put resource into enhancing and improving our precious open space.

As other posters have mentioned the space looks great when clean and tidy!

[krystyna]

On Wednesday 26 April the Wandsworth Council Planning Applications Committee (PAC) approved the building of a block of flats on the site of the Gowrie Road Pocket Park (planning application 2017/0631).

The Chairman of the PAC commented that she was not convinced it was even a pocket park! The definition of a pocket park is:

“A Pocket Park is a piece of land of up to 0.4 hectares (although many are around 0.2 hectares, the size of a tennis court) which may already be under grass but which is unused, undeveloped or derelict. They can be both natural and more formal in character (and perhaps ideally a blend of both) on the basis that they will provide a green open space that offers habitat opportunities and opportunities for people to connect with nature. They must be openly accessible for the communities they will serve, and ideally offer open access for anyone wishing to use them.”

The above sounds like a perfect description of Gowrie Road Pocket Park. The fact that it has been neglected by the owner of the land – Wandsworth Council – is the fault of the Council. They used the fact that it had been used by fly-tippers as an excuse to, almost unanimously, vote that the site would be better off having a building on it, even though they were not very keen on the design of the building! Obviously with planning permission the Council will now sell the land to the property developer. We will all have to look at this unattractive building for years to come. Ugliness of new builds in the borough is standard – just look at the "canyon" of ugly buildings along the river between Chelsea Bridge and Vauxhall.

The scores of objection letters received were ignored. Most people wanted to keep the land as a public open space, particularly as it has been identified in the WC “Local Plan – Core Strategy” as an area of the borough deficient in local open space. Many people wanted the land modified to be more open and some wanted to have a small childrens’ playground as well as new planters, seating and tables for all the community to use and the mature sycamore tree at the centre of the plot to be retained. The Cato Road Playground and adjoining Pocket Park near Clapham North is a lovely example of an urban open space run by a Local Group which brings all the community together. It's well worth a visit as the web page pictures do not do it justice.

It was also thought the land was not built on in the 1960's when the adjoining houses were built because it was intended to be kept as a memorial garden to those locals killed in the WWII bombing in 1940. The planning application 1960/11062 which is still mentioned on the WC Planning Explorer is no longer available on microfiche so noone can check what was intended by the Council planners 55 years ago.

Thank you to all those who wrote in and expressed their views. Judging by the PAC's strong opposition to the development (2106/5528) in its original form (with balconies) some of us hoped it would be rejected again. But this was not to be and sadly it seems that building on every scrap of land is WC’s guiding principle and never mind what people want.

[krystyna]

Wandsworth Counil Plannng Applications Committee in coming to their decision to grant plannng permission for a block of flats to be built on Gowrie Road Pocket Park argued that it was not a pocket park at all and was just a brownfield site. Well here are two maps which clearly show Gowrie Road Pocket Park exists:

http://www.bombsight.org/#17/51.46526/-0.15253

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/51.46448/-0.15278

The Council should not be selling off public space which could be updated and turned into a very attractive place for the whole community to enjoy.

They are using the same tactic at Thessaly Road Open Space off Wandsworth Road where WC have locked the gates and a faded sign from March 2015 states that they are doing tree work. The site has been allowed to become overgrown and no doubt it will soon be declared a brownfield, derelict site only suitable for more housing.

At this rate all the little parcels of green open space which should be preserved will all be gone.

[krystyna]

Last Bank Holiday weekend the magnificent sycamore tree at the centre of the Gowrie Road Pocket Park was cut down and on the Tuesday workmen employed by the developer moved in to clear the site and put hoardings round the perimeter. So disappointing for the many people who wanted to see the little park turned into a childrens' play area and a place for residents to sit and enjoy a rest in pleasant 'green' surrounding in the shade of the sycamore tree. This could have been achieved at relatively small cost - Wandsworth Council owned the site but they had come up with the idea of putting a building on the park in the first place then selling the site with planning permission. To this end, the site was neglected by the Council, the Planning Officer recommended the planning application for a very modern building go ahead and the Planning Applications Committee decided to ignore local objections and go with the recommendation of the Planning Officer.

Committee members expressed the view that the proposed building was not very attractive but kept repeating "we have to have a building on the site". They won't have to look at it for the next few decades! Committee Chairman, Cllr Sarah McDermott, said she was not even persuaded that Gowrie was a 'pocket park' - here are two links showing maps which have Gowrie Road Pocket Park clearly shown.

http://www.bombsight.org/#17/51.46526/-0.15253

http://www.openstreetmap.org/way/403901 ... 7/-0.15270


This Gowrie Road Pocket Park saga goes to show that unfortunately Public Consultation is a complete waste of time.

[rooting4tooting]

the site, unless for council housing had to have been sold. Isn't there a lawyer in your street who could have checked for due diligence?
Did no one apply to protect the tree or have the park made a protected green?
you only have yourselves to blame.
I'm not saying this would have stopped WBC from proceeding but it would have made the developer consider the opposition..
Now find out who the developer is and write to them on mass. Offer to buy the land (even if you can't).
remind them of what they are doing to your street and ow they should be feeling about it. What did your councilor have to say on the subject. How marginal is the seat...

[krystyna]

Dear rootingfortooting, I don't think it is fair to say "you only have yourselves to blame" as if stopping a planning application, especially when it is backed by Wandsworth Council, is easy. The Council, local councillors, and the developer all knew the strength of local opposition. A tree preservation order is an order made by a Local Authority and Wandsworth did not see the value in preserving the tree so how could anyone have obtained a TPO?

[rooting4tooting]

Apologies for my righteous attitude. Not very helpful at this time, however my points are valid, and you can still act on those still relevant. Write to the builders at the site, at their HQ, to the press, about being walked over. WBC will feel empowered unless you do this.
Also through the planning application stage there would have been plenty to do regarding distance from other housing, privacy, light, amenity, style, H&S, dust surveys, construction disturbance etc
Where we live about 8 houses were directly affected by a WBC plan to raise the height of a school building by 3 metres and we, en mass objected due to these very things, offered compromise in fact but in the end WBC backed down completely. So it can be done.
however apologies again and don't give up.
Maybe the gate to the site needs a further chain, a very big one...

[krystyna]

Dear rootingfortooting, it's always good to hear success stories - well done in your case. In our case all the points you mentioned such as privacy, light, disturbance etc were mentioned many many times in residents' letters to Wandsworth planning during the Planing Application Stage. I see those letters have now been removed from the web site to do with planning application 2017/0631. There were some 86 letters of objection and 2 letters of support. It made no difference to the Planning Application Committee in coming to their decision.

[Mamajuice]

do all local residents object to every planning application. How much is this 'pocket park' actually used by local residents. Or how much was it used before people became aware of the planning application.

Has anyone considered the benefits of a housing development on the site like a contribution towards more affordable homes?

[krystyna]

Local residents are not usually made aware of every planning application which might affect them unless they are on the Council's 'alert list'. This pocket park had great potential to be transformed into an open space for all ages to enjoy whilst retaining the beautiful mature sycamore tree. No one is saying that in its former neglected state it was a great place to stop off - the benches that had been there had not been replaced by the Council for example. As the size of the pocket park was not much bigger than a tennis court it would not have taken much money to totally transform. Why is it that other London boroughs like Kensington and Chelsea have gardens and squares which are beautifully maintained yet because we are in Battersea we are denied this basic amenity?

Affordable housing is not the intention here - this is a development to maximise profit for the developer.

[Mamajuice]

So just as a litmus test ... how many planning applications have been supported by NVN mums? Is it only objections?

Yes developers have to make a profit but there are also other benefits that come from development including affordable housing. We are amidst a housing crisis so everything contributes.

There was also a separate thread about objections to the development adjacent to Wandsworth common station. I'm just observing that most are about objection and not about support for any development.

Does this mean that NVN residents don't want any change at all or only 2 storey houses with gardens?

[krystyna]

This development of four flats is not intended for social housing or affordable homes. It takes away the opportunity for locals to have a revitalised green space where they could relax or socialise and where children could play. The loss of the mature sycamore tree is a backward step - the sycamore is second only to the ash tree in its importance in removing city pollutants:

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_a ... ution.html

There is plenty of "change" taking place in the Borough with high-rises being planned for York Road and Battersea Park Road to name just two locations.

[krystyna]

Wandsworth Council, as owners of the Gowrie Road Pocket Park site, has exchanged contracts and completion will take place soon. Meanwhile the developer, who already have planning permission for a block of flats - planning application 2017/0631 (2x2-bedroom flats and 2x1-bedroom flats), have put in a new planning application 2017/3273 for 3x2-bedrooom flats and 1x-1-bedroom flat) and much bigger terraces on the second floor. Previously the 2 terraces were going to be rectangular and 10 sq metres each now it is proposed that they are 15 and 18 sq metres and wrap-round or L-shaped and overlooking the street and houses adjacent and opposite.

These terraces would look completely out of place amongst the mainly Victorian terraced housing-stock and potentially cause privacy / overlooking problems and noise problems - a big party could be held on the combined 33 sq metres of terrace space and are just a step too far. Would the Council be amenable to householders now being free to incorporate large terraces, particularly ones visible from the street in their planning applications and would they be given planning permission?

The large mature sycamore tree, which was a beautiful sight with its large leaf canopy and is second only to the ash tree in absorbing city pollutants, was chopped down at the end of May together with an active bird's nest which is an act liable to prosecution under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. But then the whole saga of the Gowrie Road site shows the Council just does what it likes and never mind what residents want or their own finding that this area is lacking in green space.

Please let the Council know how you feel about this planning application by going to Wandsworth.gov.uk and going to the Planning site and using application number 2017/3273 to make your comments. You can make comments up to the end of the month and for a while beyond - up to the Date of Determination ie when the Planning Officer has written his recommendation report.

[David]

Just reawakening this rather old thread - obviously the block of flats is now built, looks fine on the Gowrie Road side (picture above) but frankly not great on the Taybridge Road frontage which is more of a mess.  But it's interesting to see just how long the arguments about replacing some of the trees that got chopped down have gone on for! Someone involved in the building process is clearly keen to have as little greenery as possible, which is disappointing when you consider the promises that were made at fist to minimise the environmental and visual impact of the new block of flats. Feel a bit sorry for the residents of the building, who have a building that's not compliant with its planning permission, seemingly because the developer just doesn't want to deliver what it was supposed to (and which wasn't going to be particularly complicated - and which would have given the flats a better outlook and more privacy). The latest application to replace what started as a green wall, three trees, and two large beech hedges with a scattering of small pot plants has (maybe surprisingly) been rejected - for those with an interest in how the 'greenery' in new planning applications tends not to ever turn up in practice, there are more details on this rather interesting planning saga here - https://lavenderhillforme.wordpress.com ... idge-road/