Fruition have returned with new revised proposals for the site of the Mumbai Junction at 231 Watford Road. The developer's application was refused by Brent Planning Committee in December last year. LINK
To be replaced?
Fruition claim to have worked with Brent planning officers on the revised plans and are mounting an exhibition at St Cuthbert's Church, 214 Carlton Avenue West, HA0 3QY on Tuesday July 12th 4pm - 7pm.
They claim they have reduced size and massing of the block of flats, improved cycling provision and improved the frontage.
CAUTION: Fruition say there is further information on the website www.231watfordroad.co.uk but both Firefox and Chrome browsers issued warnings that the site was unsafe when I clicked on it.
23 comments:
The representations of the new scheme are hardly any different to before. the number of lats has only reduced slightly, there is no mention of affordable housing. The blocks rendering is still a juxtaposition to the surrounding area, it is just a pile of boxes among much smaller homes with much better designs. The prpoposed monolithic structure still sits at the entrance to the Sudbury Court Estate Conervation area and seriously detracts from the areas specific designs.
In summary, it is little different to the previous design and will no doubt be opposed by most residents in and around the area regardless of Fruition playing lip sevice to the required public consultation, which last time they totally ignored. The idea of which is to adjust the proposal after hearing what residents say.
And as for the viability of the Mumbai Junction, if the MJ property company and directors of the MJ operational company weren't bleeding it dry it (see the reports provided for the previous proposal) would no doubt be viable. As for the £1.4million the operational company avoided paying to HMG and Border Agency by declaring the company insolvent..... and then starting a new company with no debts............
Fruition claim to have worked with the community on the ‘new’ designs. I wonder who they consulted with. Also, it needs to be called out on the landowner, having claimed bankruptcy is now looking to develop the site. We don’t more fraudsters developing properties.
How many cars will be thrown into the already congested roads surrounding this site?
This is absolutely non sensical proposal. The area is already congested and causing so much traffic. Building these many flats is just making the area over congested.
The current building is a testament to the conservation and beauty of this area and MJ want to replace it with a monolith building that looks so out of place. MJ are bunch of fraudsters using the bankruptcy loophole! Do we want people like this to make profit at our expense and who don't care one iota about our beautiful area?
Is this a competition to see how many flats and developments can be squeezed into one small already over congested and under resourced area?
This is like the Emerald Palace from the Wizard of Oz! Oh dear god, what next? Sudbury Court Drive will be replaced with Yellow Bricks?!
If the developers are allowed to build this new looking building in a conservation area and make profits, then please have article 4 removed for existing residents too. Why should we be going to lengths to get simple work done on properties to maintain the conservation area guidelines. These are double standards from the Brent council.
Brent Council has double standards and turn a blind eye when it suits them. The revised plan doesn’t meet conservation area regulations so why has this been passed for consultation? We don’t need more flats in the area. The congestion on Watford Road is bad enough now so why does Brent Council want to create more congestion and pollution by allowing these types of plan agreed? I wonder if this is a joint venture involving Brent Council like Byron Court school was. Also not sure where the local councillors stand on this one. My gut feeling is if Brent Planning team has been involved in the revised plans then this proposal will get through like the school did.
And we still can't access the website!!!! Useless lot.
I would love to give an opinion on the plans but their website must work first. It doesn’t work!!!!! Secondly as someone who lives close to the site I know the company hasn’t consulted with me.
My concern will be everytime they propose “new changes” local residents will complain but Brent Council will do what it does best. Ultimately ignore the local residents and all the objections and give planning permission., why are the council obsessed with building flats?, they allowed the ugly one on Sudbury court road and then another on Sudbury Hill close both being objected to dozens of time and they are in residential areas . I objected last time and will do so every time they re submit. Just the location of it being on a roundabout and increase in car numbers and therefore pollution is enough to object to. If any one wants to buy a flat please look to Alperton there’s enough there and no doubt more being built.
Totally agree
Council don’t care!!! Developers don’t care!! Where there are only houses or if it’s out of character, council shouldn’t allows flats to be built. Simple!
Council has a duty of care to existing residents, but it seems like (actually they are ) council only wants support these developers so they can get more cash in form of council and other local taxes.
In the revised plan the size and massing has hardly changed – just a very small reduction in top left corner. The number of homes has been reduced by just 1 (from 43 to 42). This is hardly a significant reduction in size and massing.
Actual numbers for homes and cycling parking spaces are provided but conveniently no mention is made about actual number of onsite car parking spaces.
There are 42 homes and obviously some owners may have zero cars but many may have more than one car (given that there are some two and three bedrooms units). So, on average if there is one car per home there will be 42 additional cars. Where will these be parked?
The roundabout and side road are already congested, and additional cars and parking will only make situation worse, and no doubt lead health and safety issue. None of these issues are being properly addressed.
The style/character of the building has not been changed at all from previous application and remains completely out of line with the surrounding area.
There is still no mention of any Affordable Homes being provided in the development. According to Brent Council affordable housing rules, for new developments of 42 dwellings means at least 16 affordable homes should be provided. But looks like none are being provided using “viability” loophole, but no viability calculations are provided.
Very small insignificant tweaks (e.g., size/massing) are being made to placate the residents; Instead, more effort has bene made in increasing the PR and Marketing activities (website, newsletter, meaningless public consultations/events etc) rather than in addressing, in any meaningful way, the very real concerns and objections of the residents.
The key points are that having an additional flats will ruin the beauty of the area and create even more traffic doing through the already busy John Lyon roundabout and the surrounding area.
Mumbai Junction is also an iconic part of the community and losing that will impact the appeal of the area.
The new proposals are hardly different to the original ones so there is even more reason for not to having the proposal agreed. It is a hideous building that will ruin what is a lovely part of Brent and Harrow.
The plan to build flats just the same as last one do not understand why you have to build new development as you got lots of new one at Wembley park this is not good for the this lovely area's we live in same Brent do they get money for this ?
New development looks fabulous a great improvement on that run down blot on the landscape they call a restaurant let's hop it's approved this time
Dear Anonynous 15 July 2022 at 06:23 Granted the current building has been let go under the present ownership, however, replacing it with an monolithic eysore is surely not the solution to its ramshackled condition. One could say that if this development is allowed then nothing in the area will be safe from developers, not even the various pieces of open space near you or the Conservation Area itself. But maybe you want that?
Dear Anonynous 15 July 2022 at 06:23 fabulous- really? Should have gone to Specssavers. It’s an ugly building completely out of character with the area. A new restaurant/pub/social or community facility ( which are sorely required) could easily be created within the current building retaining the character and bit of history of the site.
The builders are trying to get the council consent for last 2 years as they will be making massive profits from the build, which they may be able to share with the council, and therefore expect them to dance to their tune.
Brent labour council have absolutely disrespects the views of residents and they practical don't care. All election stunt made by them to reject the plan, soon as they got thair seats they quietly will approve it as there is practically no one to object inshort no opposition.
Don't worry about history the MB were asked to keep the name John Lyon they refused giving it an Asian name instead let's hope the new development brings back the history of the great John Lyon by naming the development John Lyon Towers or similar
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