tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post1796699427095166503..comments2024-03-28T19:20:52.408+00:00Comments on WEMBLEY MATTERS: UPDATE: APPROVED BY PLANNING COMMITTEE: Car parts warehouse to be replaced by 759 housing units in 5 residential tower blocks with work space in Wembley Park - meagre provision of truly affordable housingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-15038465788969615462021-11-26T11:57:39.878+00:002021-11-26T11:57:39.878+00:00At least this new Wealdstone Brook side towers wil...At least this new Wealdstone Brook side towers will be built and engineered for its very real ever present on site flood risk (hopefully with success if climate change is fully factored in). <br /><br />City of Westminster if you look at the Westminster Draft Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 2019, there is a good map Fig 3.9 on p55 titled Surface Water Flood Risk Hotspots. The South Kilburn two rivers wedge shape into Westminster (highlighted on this map) follows the fluvial flood risk River Westbourne's borough boundary course as all being a widespread flood risk hotspot (Unity Place, Bourne Place, Argo House, Malvern Mews, Chippenham Gardens are all within this risk area as of course is much of Maida Vale too). On Gov.uk Check your long-term flood risk produced by the Environment Agency, if you type in NW6 5PT for example, 7 Malvern Mews comes up as being Surface Water Flood High Risk. Again, this is in reality because of fluvial flood risk where the culverted rivers (also as sewers used) below ground simply can't cope with Kilburn Major Town Colony extreme over-development.<br /><br />The problem in Kilburn Major Town Colony, is that Brent seems to use only EA planning flood risk maps and then, designs, engineers and sells build planning permissions as if entire South Kilburn 45 hectare 'very large site' is low flood risk. Large underground car parks to sell and rent out, no problem, excavated right next to the River Westbourne flood risk hotspot (according to City of Westminster flood risk analysis only that is)?<br /><br />The South Kilburn Public Open Space flood defence (Brent Kilburn Towns only park sized green space) bordering Westminster's flood risk hotspot is weak categorised by Brent as open space, when new Local Green Space Designation is the trend for such key public owned public health and safety assets elsewhere in Brent in the new Local Plan? How did the Brent Plan Inspectors make sense of these ambiguities regarding Brent rivers and flood defences policies and a clear underlying parallel process passion for applying bad growth methods in Kilburn?<br />David Waltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-38934513444834744232021-11-23T18:13:50.987+00:002021-11-23T18:13:50.987+00:00Future generations will pay the cost of the curren...Future generations will pay the cost of the current Labour led Brent Council's reckless decisions to agree to more and more tower blocks in our already overdeveloped and hugely congested area so that huge property developers and overseas investors to make even more money.<br /><br />At least future generations will know who to blame as there will be thousands of images and social media postings left behind of Cllr Butt and his followers making the most of their self promotion photo opportunities.<br /><br />Thankfully there will also be Wembley Matters archives to show that there were people who cared about what was happening and fought hard to make a difference. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-15404114646762190742021-11-23T18:03:28.377+00:002021-11-23T18:03:28.377+00:00Viability, viability, viability- the £3 million co...Viability, viability, viability- the £3 million costing MACE Consortium community-led partnership neighbourhood Plan 2004 for South Kilburn Estate was viable when all residents had that vote (not a ballot), until that is it suddenly wasn't viable anymore.<br /><br />A £100,000 model of the 2004 final plan deal for that vote, has now become fluid with all manner of towers growing all over it. Whatever- "development will look after itself". Developers certainly don't need to break-in at night to alter in any way they want this final plan model.<br /><br />As for the only 7 new build for social rent flats in South Kilburn Land delivered so far (they belong to Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) Doveberry Court bordering Maida Vale.<br /><br />1 bedroom £104.66pw<br />2 bedroom £105.50pw<br />2 bedroom £124.76pw<br />2 bedroom £158.79pw<br />2 bedroom £155.40pw<br />2 bedroom £124.76pw<br />3 bedroom £118.62pw<br /><br />These homes form the new build homes for social rent benchmark in Brent.<br /><br />I guess 23 storeys is the height benchmark for Wealdstone Brook side?David Waltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-9173996839360864732021-11-23T16:56:28.840+00:002021-11-23T16:56:28.840+00:00When the previous planning application for the Eur...When the previous planning application for the Euro House site (20/2033) went to Planning Committee less than a year ago (December 2020), the application was for 493 housing units, with four blocks of between 11 and 21 storeys. Around 20% of these homes, 98, would have been "affordable", with 80 at London Affordable rents and 18 shared ownership. <br /><br />The Committee raised concerns raised about the low proportion of affordable homes (the developer said that this was the maximum viable number), and about the height and density of the proposed development After some discussion, the application was approved, with the minutes recording: 'Voting on the decision was as follows: For 5; Abstention 1; Against 2.'<br /><br />The new application, 21/2989, has come back seeking up to 759 residential units on the site, with five towers ranging from ground PLUS 14 to 23 storeys. 29% of the homes are claimed to be "affordable", but only 80 (10.5% - the same number as the previous application) would be at London Affordable rent levels. <br /><br />76 (10% of the total) would be for shared ownership, but would anyone now risk taking on the lease of a flat on those terms?<br /><br />Despite the well below accepted standards amenity space for so many homes, and loss of light to existing nearby properties, Brent's Planning Officers are recommending approval of the application. <br /><br />Their main reasons appear to be the larger number of (so-called) "affordable" homes, and: 'Compared with the previous scheme, this proposal also offers an enhanced public realm landscaping offer, with substantially more biodiversity benefit and a more spacious path alongside the Wealdstone brook.' <br /><br />No worries about the increased flooding risk, then!Philip Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08216646114377430489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-45329095205130486412021-11-23T15:10:52.066+00:002021-11-23T15:10:52.066+00:00The River Westbourne, the tale of two boroughs; de...The River Westbourne, the tale of two boroughs; demonstrates well just how difficult Westminster (Central London's) engineered flood defence protections of life and property against Brent South Kilburn Growth Area extreme over development have proven to be to get to function and protect effectively as designers intend. <br /><br />With many millions already spent, either Westminster Central London will keep on flood engineering to protect its conservation area villages 'way of life' OR Brent will now be government forced to protect what remains of its public owned natural parkland flood defences and to infrastructure attenuate fully for flood defences which are already by private interests destroyed.<br /><br />Wealdstone Brook will clearly be a major flood risk challenge given a 59% increase in winter rainfall. Better that its water levels, quality and management are all kept in public view. What is OK now in flood engineering terms is unlikely to prove sufficient in a real world future flood event. The scary trend is that leaseholders and tenants pay for flood costs(with government flood loan debts/ higher insurance costs).David Waltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-64700077796003119672021-11-23T14:40:18.965+00:002021-11-23T14:40:18.965+00:00Labour Councillors in Brent are destroying our Env...Labour Councillors in Brent are destroying our Environment with their monster Tower Block policies.<br /><br />All Brent Councillors were sent a GLA Scrutiny Report into the damage caused by tall buildings produced by experts at UCL.<br /><br />https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2017/jun/high-rise-buildings-much-more-energy-intensive-low-rise<br /><br />Yet despite being challenged by Lib Dem Councillor Anton Georgiou they refuse to listen and neither does the Labour Mayor of London.<br /><br />Sadly Brent Council declaring a "Climate Emergency" is the usual Labour posturing sham as they refuse to take action to restrict the height of buildings and thus take genuine action on restricting the environmental damage their Tower blocks cause.<br /><br />The only person on the Council opposing the excessively massive and damaging Labour Tower Blocks is Lib Dem Councillor Anton Georgiou who has now highlighted this issue in two Council Meetings.<br /><br />As usual - Labour Councillors will wake up when it is too late - and then blame someone else.Paul Lorbernoreply@blogger.com