Cricklewood Broadway & Wembley Hill Road planning applications approved along with Adult Gaming Centre in High Road, Willesden

Both applications were approved at yesterday's Brent Planning Committee. Only Cllr Fleur Donelly-Jackson voted against the Cricklewood Broadway/Hassop Road application on grounds that it did not mean the LA's own policy guidance. The Wembley Hill Road St George Hotel/Allied Irish Bank application was approved unanimously. There were no resident speakers against the Cricklewood Broadway application and councillors were told that Barnet Council and Cricklewood Terrace Residents' Assoication had made no submission.

 

There was a speaker on behalf of Mostyn Avenue residents on the Wembley Hill Road application who said there was no established demand for yet more hotel space, was concerned about disruption during building works and parking issues. She corrected the developer's agent claim that the Allied Irish Bank building had been empty for years. It has been occupied by a church that has done good work during the pandemic.

 

A further application, not covered previously on this blog, was for an Adult Gaming Centre on High Road Willesden. Planning officers had advocated restricted hours rather than the 24/7 opening requested by the applicant, who could see no justification for the restriction.

The Planning Committee approved the application with 8am-10pm opening Sunday to Thursday and 8am to Midnight Friday and Saturday.

Has tonight's Cricklewood Broadway/Hassop Road planning application slipped under the radar?

 

View on Cricklewood Broadway (existing and proposed)

A major development on Cricklewood Broadway and Hassop Road appears to have slipped under the radar of local residents. The application LINK will be decided at tonight's Planning Committee. 448 letters were sent out by Brent Council and there were only four responses. One in favour and three objections. Opposite the site, actual in the London Brough of Barnet, is the Railway Terraces Conservation Area. Barnet is listed as a consultee but, along with all the other consultees, their submission is not published on the Brent Planning portal.

 

To attend meeting on BrentLive CLICK HERE

Hassop Road - front view (existing and proposed)

The Planners' report summarises:

Retention and refurbishment of buildings at 42-56 Hassop Road, demolition of buildings at 32-40 and 60-74 Hassop Road and replacement with 3 storey building accommodating 2,679 sqm of floorspace (Use Class E) and 8 self-contained flats, refurbishment of ground floor retail at 249-289 Cricklewood Broadway including creation of retail arcade between Cricklewood Broadway and Hassop Road, change of use of 1st floor of 249-283 Cricklewood Broadway and creation of 2 to 3additional storeys above 249-289 Cricklewood Broadway accommodating a 157 unit co-living scheme and ancillary facilities including laundries, cinema, shared living/kitchen/dining rooms, storage and shared workspace and new facade to front and rear of 249-289 Cricklewood Broadway

 

The two existing floors of the Cricklewood Broadway building will be re-furbished, with the ground floor retained in retail use and the first floor converted to shared living/co-working accommodation. The building will be extended upwards by three additional floors, each providing additional co-living accommodation. An arcade will be provided, linking Cricklewood Broadway to Hassop Road, and will have shops on its southern side, and some ancillary accommodation for the co-living units (gym and concierge) on its northern side. The units are laid out at a ratio of just under 7 rooms per shared kitchen, dining and living room and small kitchenettes are also provided within the rooms. Other communal facilities will include co-working spaces, lounges, gym, cinema, external amenity space, managers office, concierge, and storage areas. Floors three to four will be stepped back from its front and rear elevations and the maximum height of this building will be approximately 17m at its southern end and 20m at its northern end.

 

The Hassop Road building will involve the refurbishment of Nos.42-56 and its upward extension by an additional floor, and the redevelopment of 32-40 and 60-74 Hassop Road to provide a three-storey building. Due to the gradient of the road, maximum height will range between approximately 9m and 12m.The ground floor will continue to be in employment use whilst the upper floors will accommodate 8no. self-contained flats.

 

Public realm improvements between the two buildings are proposed to make the street more pedestrian-friendly. This will be achieved through the provision of a shared surface, the planting of trees (approximately 23no.), the removal of the ad hoc parking and their replacement with two dedicated parking bays and two loading bays, and cycle parking. Catenary lighting is also proposed. Improvements are also proposed along the Cricklewood Broadway frontage with additional plantings, seating, and cycle parking.

 

Regarding the Railway Terraces Conservation Area they say:

Although the proposed development will be visible from the Conservation Area and will directly face the listed Milestone LINK , it must also be viewed within the context of the existing developments external to those heritage assets. 

 

Visibility does not necessarily equate to being harmful because it could be argued that views from the Conservation Area, such as along Kara Way, towards the site will be enhanced due to a replacement building, albeit larger, that is more sympathetic in terms of its overall design and materials. At worse, the impact of the development is considered neutral.

 

 On the 157 unit co-living block the planners state:

PolicyH16 of the London Plan acknowledges that co-living is a type of housing that will help to meet a particular need, that is, single person households who cannot or choose to not live-in self-contained homes or HMOs. The policy does not restrict the accommodation to particular groups by occupation or specific need (e.g., for students, nurses, temporary/emergency accommodation) but such schemes must be of at least 50 units.

 

Given the density of living accommodation in that block and the fact that it has lifts for disabled people who will require PEEPs (personal emergency evacuation plans) councillors will be keen to look at fire safety. I have embedded the report below - it is worth looking at page 9.

Click bottom right for full page.

Proposed 15 storey block for Cricklewood opposed by many local residents

The relationship of the block to surrounding buildings

As the block will appear from Cricklewood Lane

Proposals for a  6-15 storey block on the corner of Cricklewood Broadway and Cricklewood Lane  (1-13 Cricklewood Lane) is being opposed by many Barnet and Brent residents who live close to the proposed development.

These two statements extracted from comments on the Barnet Council planning portal sum up the reasons for opposition:

COMMENT 1

The proposal is based on misleading claims and specious arguments which are factually incorrect. A 15 storey high-rise extreme-density tower would dominate everything around it and be totally out of keeping with the rest of Cricklewood.

FUL-PLANNING_STATEMENT-4245340
2.12 The Site is within the wider Brent Cross Cricklewood (BXC) Framework.
It is not.
5.9 The Site is designated, by the LBB and the GLA: Cricklewood/Brent Cross Opportunity Area:
It is not.
6.28 .......the Brent Cross Regeneration Area is situated in close proximity to the Site, which provides precedent for tall buildings.
It is not "in close proximity to the Site"; There is no precedent for tall buildings
6.28 "Cricklewood is not identified by LBB as one of the areas suitable for tall buildings".

There is no Affordable Housing
7.2-Affordable housing provision will only be "discussed further with the Council".

The scheme will be detrimental to the area:
6.24 The tower "will be situated to the rear of the Site to minimise townscape views and amenity"
6.50 The scheme proposes a residential density that "exceeds the current London Plan density matrix"
6.61 "....the scheme proposal will result in several breaches of BRE daylight guidance", due to the design

Public Consultation
4.6. "an extensive process of consultation was undertaken ..... between the Applicant and the local community". This is an exaggerated and misleading claim.
4.8 reveals that only 43 people attended the exhibition, and that only 15 feedback forms were returned. Most local residents were not told

7.0 SECTION 106: the developer is making no contribution at all other than a Carbon offset payment - this is unacceptable.

If planning applications are to be decided on the basis of this kind of falsehood, that is a subversion and debasement of due democratic process, This proposal by an off-shore speculator to exploit residents' environment for commercial gain constitutes town cramming. It should be refused

COMMENT 2

Let's not pretend that anything about this development is intended to benefit the local area. It's about developers making money. The development is not in keeping with the local area, it's far too big. The development is not about providing housing to local people, there is no social housing, despite the desperate need. There is no guaranteed affordable housing.

I was born and brought up in Cricklewood and at the age of 33 I have had to move back in with my parents to be able to stay in the area that is my home. This housing is not even within my reach and in many ways I'm luckier than many other local people I am proud to call my neighbours.

Cricklewood infrastructure is already under enormous strain. I have given up trying to drive down the Broadway, the traffic barely moves. The new housing development towards staples corner, plus the planned distribution site are already going to add to an already overburdened road network. A development of that many flats would be awful, not to mention the health effects from the added pollution. The train networks are overloaded, it's nearly impossible to get on a train at Cricklewood Station as it is.

Why are we intent on letting outside financial interests come in and create so much damage to the place we live. Let's redevelop Cricklewood, some areas desperately need it but let's do it in a way that works for local people, before we realise we've ruined our home for a quick buck.

If you wish to comment on the proposal or read more about it follow this LINK

Cricklewood says 'Oh, no, not that lot again!' but ready to stand united against the SE Alliance

Most people I have spoken to in Cricklewood while leafleting about Saturday's 'Fascists not welcome here' demonstration have reacted with disbelief that a group that has so clearly failed to muster any support is coming to disturb their neighbourhood again.

However, they were once again (with a bored sigh) prepared to see them off again.

Only a handful of the South East Alliance turned up last time with a massive police escort and many more police were parked in vans in side streets ready for any trouble. The SEA were opposed by hundreds of local people with Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt and prospective Labour candidate Dawn Butler also in attendance.

Shopkeepers and families in flats above the shops were especially fed up when they heard the news which will mean four summer Saturday's disrupted for them.

The SE Alliance and their motley group of associates will try and exploit recent events in the Middle East and in Rotherham to try and muster additional support so North West London United is again mounting a peaceful counter-demonstration to show that the community is united.

Supporters should get down to 113 Cricklewood Broadway, opposite the Crown Moran, for 11am on Saturday morning.  Placards ridiculing the SEA would be particularly welcome.

Please get to Cricklewood by 11am on Saturday

North West London United are asking people opposing the South East Alliance march in Cricklewood to arrive earlier at 11am outside 113 Cricklewood Broadway.

This follows news that the South East Alliance are meeting at 11.30am at Kilburn Station and intend to set off along Shoot Up Hill at 12 noon. We need to be ready for with our peaceful united demonstration before they get to the Broadway.

Residents and activists block Cricklewood Broadway to stop Fascist march

Anti-fascists and residents block Cricklewood Broadway

The South East Alliance are brought to a halt

Fifty or so members of the far-right group South East Alliance were brought to a halt on Cricklewood Broadway when local residents and activists occupied the road to stop them proceeding. Despite police lines trying to push them back to clear the road, residents stood firm with a little determined pushing back, and the line held.

The SEA were ostensibly protesting against what they claimed to be Muslim Brotherhood offices at 113a Cricklewood Broadway. (on their Facebook page they called it Cricklewood High Street).  In fact the group that previously occupied the offices had been minor sympathisers of the MB and not the MB itself and, as the police have stated, moved out some time ago.

The police themselves seemed rather confused as they had put up an enclosure outside 119 Cricklewood Broadway and tried to get the anti-fascists to stand there to no avail.

The SEA was about 50 strong and out-numbered 3:1 by the counter demonstrations. After making short speeches, entirely to themselves, the SEA turned round and heavily escorted by police went back to Kilburn station.

Residents celebrated what they saw as a victory over attempts to divide a diverse but united community.