Showing posts with label Stonebrudge Adventure Playground. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stonebrudge Adventure Playground. Show all posts

Saturday 30 April 2016

After the 26 storey 'Twin Towers' a 28 storey block planned for Wembley

Readers with long memories will recall that the views of the new 'iconic' Wembley Stadium were to be protected but the Stadium is fast being hidden in a cluster of tall buildings.

This latest application going to Planning Committee on May 9th  is at the corner of Fulton Road and Albion Way, replacing Apex House and Albion House.

As with the 'Twin Towers' planners suggest that 'good design' makes up for the height the new Apex House, at 28 storeys two storeys higher than the tallest of the Twin Towers.

The new argument for this building and the replacement for Mahatma Gandhi House is that they fit in with the cluster of tall buildings around the stadium'

Apex House will be more private student accommodation with 558 rooms sleeping 580 students.

The lack of daylight is excused on the basis that their stay will be only temporary and 'consequently the impact of the proposal on the occupants of the building is considered to be acceptable.


This illustration of the development looking along Olympic Way tucks the new building  away behind the current 'cluster'.


The planners say LINK
The subject site is located within an area where tall buildings have been developed, and the proposal would add to the cluster effect of these tall buildings. Notwithstanding this, the site is relatively small and the proposed building height is taller than the surrounding context. The massing of the building, with a tower element and two plinths is supported as it ensures the building relates well to the surrounding context. The two plinths relate directly to the adjacent development and help to create an urban block. The materials have been chosen to reflect and compliment those on the surrounding buildings whilst the mass is concentrated at the corner of Fulton Road and Albion Way, terminating key views along Fulton Road. 
The buildings are close to the existing Danes Court flats which are situated in gardens close to the railway line.  They are beginning to be dwarfed by Quintain's redevelopment of the Wembley Stadium area.

Just down the High Road from the Twin Towers, close to Wembley Stadium station, plans have been submitted for Mahatma Gandhi House, the former Brent Council housing offices.
The building that will replace Mahatma Gandhi House
By comparison to Apex House, this  is a dinky 21 storeys high and has received objections similar to those for the Twin Towers.  A mixture of requested planning changes and viability assessments has chased the affordable housing element in the development down to 20.2% LINK
The applicant has now offered to provide 20.2% affordable housing (25 affordable rented and 15 shared ownership units) on a 63:37 tenure split on the site (accounting for 40 units) and this is the final proposal presented to Planning Committee. BPS have confirmed the revised FVA and sensitivity analysis supports this proposal. Officers recommend that this represents the maximum amount of affordable housing the scheme can reasonably and viable deliver, at a broadly policy compliant affordable housing tenure ratio, and I (sic) therefore supported subject to an appropriate s106 financial review mechanism to be triggered post implementation of the scheme, such that a contribution towards offsite affordable housing provision is made should market conditions and viability improve 

Objections are similar to those raised in the case of the 'Twin Towers':
             The proposed development will be very high indeed and will be visible from Dennis Avenue, proving that the proposed development is very tall, and not in keep with the other buildings in the area (21-storeys is too tall for the area but 11-storeys is acceptable and in keep with local surroundings)
             There are already a number of new recent developments, and new proposed ones which are planning in 'dwarfing' the current area and making it congested and claustrophobic.
             Privacy from bathroom window will be highly compromised as this will be in the line of view to the proposed development.
             Infrastructure around the area cannot cope - roads are already very busy and roads are suffering with large potholes.
             Proposed 202 residential units is far too much, coupled with new proposed developments in the area will have a massive affect on the already busting point of the local hospitals, schools and emergency services.
             Query whether our rainwater and sewage systems cope with such large proposed developments
             The area is already over developed and more pending with other developments such are SW Lands, Brent House, Cottrell House etc. Where will the residents park - Mostyn, Dennis and Linden Avenues are already full, and feel that a knock-on effect will leave the proposed development residents parking in the above roads.
             Traffic - there is already a major traffic issue in the area, and Wembley Stadium and the surrounding area are now encouraging the public to bring cars into the area. Previously when the Stadium was being built, we as residents were told that there is only going to be limited parking available for Stadium and SSE Area visitors as we want them to come by public transport. This has gone out of the window.
Public buses are already clogging up the roads, and with more residents, there will be a need for more public transport leading to a complete standstill of traffic. Buses are also terminating at Wembley Hill road (at the end of Linden Avenue). For cars trying to come out of Linden Avenue and take either a left or right turn at the junction is asking for a death wish as you cannot see past the terminated buses and cars are coming very fast. This should not be a termination point for buses
There were comments in favour:
The plans will be good for the area
             It will look nice
             Better than what is currently there
             Closer to shops
             Creating jobs for young people
             Better opportunities for young people
             Add something interesting in this up and coming area
             Good location - near stadium and the station
              Brings revenue into the Borough

Tokyngton and Wembley Central ward councillors have submitted no comments and neither has Wembley Hill Residents Association.
The Planning Committee will be a busy one as it is also considering the school extension and housing that led to the demolition of the Stonebridge Adventure Playground. LINK

Meanwhile residents of Roe Green Village are continuing to battle Powerleague Lucuzade's development on the Kingsbury High School.  They are at a loss to know why Wembley National Stadium, some distance from Roe Green, are statutory consultees for the planning application. Are the days of the temporary Powerleague pitches between the Stadium and Brent Civic Centre numbered?

A Planning Committee was cancelled last week, perhaps as a result of the disarray in the planning department following the loss of key staff LINK but there will be an additional Planning Committee a two days after this one on May 11th  (no agenda available yet). This could signal an attempt to get things through before the Labour Group's May AGM when committeee personnel and Lead Member may change.

Thursday 21 May 2015

Kilburn councillors 'disenfranchised' claims Cllr John Duffy

Amid the Tory Party infighting last night at the Brent Council Annual General Meeting there was a protest from Cllr John Duffy (Labour, Kilburn) that Kilburn ward councillors had not been given one committee place on the Council.

He claimed that this meant Kilburn residents had been disenfranchised.

Muhammed Butt, Labour leader of Brent Council replied that 'previous conduct' of councillors had been taken into account when selecting committee members.

Duffy attempted to persuade the Council to raise Council Tax earlier this year in an effort to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground,  the Welsh Harp Environment Education Centre and Energy Solutions from closure.




Tuesday 18 November 2014

More feeble excuses from Cllr Butt as 'error' reveals his deceit on Stonebridge Adventure Playground closure

Cllr  Muhammed Butt today told the Kilburn Times that the Forward Plan notice uploaded on the Brent Council website  that the Cabinet would be making a decision to end the funding of the Stonebridge Adventure Playground  LINK had been 'uploaded in error'.  It is reminiscent of the Tweet sent out inviting residents to speak at a Full Council meeting on a Friday, giving Monday as the deadline which was said to be an error when I applied to speak on the subject of the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive LINK

This is what Cllr Butt told the Kilburn Tines: LINK
The forward plan item considering the future funding of the Brent Play Association was taken down from our website as it was an incorrect version which had been uploaded in error. A correct version will be published later today. (Tuesday).

It is important to note that this funding issue is completely separate from the regeneration proposals for Stonebridge. They are two separate decisions.

Given the fact that by 2018 Brent Council will have had its funding cut in half by government, we are having to review all expenditure across a wide range of areas including children’s services.

But let me be absolutely clear about this, no decisions on either the funding of the Brent Play Association or on the regeneration of Stonebridge have yet been made.
The new version of the item has been posted and a screen grab is below:


The Heading (below the purple line) was originally published as:
To terminate the funding to Brent Play Association (BPA) at the end of the 2014-15 financial year.

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Significant expenditure/savings > 30% of budget for the function in question;
Importantly the 'Decision due' date is now the Cabinet of  January 26th 2015 rather than the original posting of  December 15th 2014.

Whether this is to avoid a headline of 'Brent Council give Stonebridge children a surprise Christmas present - they close their playground!' or some other reason is a matter for speculation.

My hunch is that the original wording of the Forward Plan reflects the Council's true intentions and that Muhammed Butt is fully aware that this is the case.

That local residents, and the children who use the Centre, are being subject to such deceit  is a disgrace.