Proposals for 'fill-in' development of the council's sites across the borough have sometimes been controversial, especially when current residents are opposed to densification, loss of light or the loss of green space.
The council respond that such proposals provide much needed council housing under the New Council Homes Programme (NCHP) and the balance of detriment versus gain is in favour of development. As we have learnt from the reallocation of new homes in Watling Gardens from London Affordable Rent to Shared Ownership things are not always straightforward in terms of genuine affordability.
A new map listing finished, current and potential developments has been issued to ward councilors today. Those on the map below in red have been identified as 'potential development opportunities.' Ward councillors will be contacted by officers to discuss proposals in their wards.
Nearly a half of the 886 red projects in 'feasibility' are accounted for by development on the St Raphael's Estate.
It is to be hoped that ward councillors, many of them new, will actively engage with estate residents early in the process so that they are not presented with a fait accompli.
You should be able to enlarge this map by clicking bottom right.
Some Ward councillors are going to be puzzled by the claims made on this map.
ReplyDeleteStonebridge Ward:
Morland Gardens an 'on site project'? In fact, the NCH team is having a third attempt to find a contractor willing to carry out the development within the budget that Cabinet agreed for it two and a half years ago. Nothing is happening "on site" yet (quite apart from the fact that the Council still does not have the legal authority to build on part of the site).
Twybridge Way - a 'site with planning consent'. Well yes, the planning consent was given in 2020, but the development of 67 homes here was put "on hold" so that the former clinic / school annexe could be used as a temporary home for the Brent Start college, while the Morland Gardens site was redeveloped. As work on Morland Gardens will not start until 2023, if at all, work cannot begin at Twybridge Way before mid-2025 at earliest.
Kilburn Ward:
Kilburn Square is said to be a 'site with planning consent / submitted'. The truth is that the planning application for 141 homes there has not yet been submitted, and it will be strongly opposed.
The residents of Newland Court and Grendon Gardens will fight Brent Council's Proposal to build new flats at Newland Court to the END!!!!
ReplyDeleteBrent Council says that there is a shortage of land to build on yet Brent Council have allowed private investors to buy up all the land around Wembley stadium and surrounding areas to build unaffordable skyscrapers which are bought by foreign investors who rent them out to only those who can afford them.
Brent Council moved their headquarters to the civic centre from the former town hall on Forty avenue and sold the land which is now a French school. That land could have been used to create 100’s of council homes. There are numerous little plots of open spaced land scattered across Brent that could be used for homes.
Over the years we have seen 2 petrol stations and a pub disappear from Forty Avenue only to be replaced by private residential flats and Sattavis community centre on the corner of Forty Avenue and The Avenue which was promised to be a community centre for the locals but has turned out to be a hardly used private hire hall.
At present Brent Council have been building a tiny block of flats in a tiny plot at the entrance into Newland Court on the corner of the Avenue and Corringham road which has taken almost 2 years and is still not finished and has been hugely disruptive with delivery trucks blocking the entrance into Newland Court numerous times.
I completely agree with you Marc. It is impossible to understand that Brent Council has never taken s proactive approach to reach out to residents at Newland Court to address any of the existing issues such as Fly tipping , poor lighting , anti social behaviour or the already restricted parking for residents . Yet they are keen to make it even worse by adding more houses and cause more unnecessary disruption to the livelyhood of the residents and take away the green space and all at the detriment of existing tenants.
ReplyDeleteIt is only fair that we unite and stand up to fight back to the end .
Hi Tonya and Marc, if either of you would like to write a guest article on the issues you raise I would be happy to publish it. Send to wembleymatters@virginmedia.com either in the email itself or as a word document attachment. Photographs would be useful to illustrate your points. Thanks, Martin (Ed)
ReplyDeleteFunny how they never find areas in the posh bits of Brent
ReplyDeleteYou mean the posh bits like Tokyngton, which has no proposed infill sites???
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