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| The relationship of the block to surrounding buildings |
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| 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.
