Willesden Green police houses development - the mound likely to go but so is the affordable housing

The new housing development of 25 units and the retained police station

 

Brent Planning Committee last night unanimously approved the application for 25 flats on the site of police houses and police station outhouses on the Willesden High Road. The police station itself is retained for commercial purposes.

This was despite representations made by the adjacent property in Huddleston Road who in just 3 minutes was able to demonstrate the many ways in which the application did not meet the council's own guidelines or address the concerns of the Planning Inspectorate.

However, the developer, at Planning Committee for the third time, said that Brent planning officers agreed that they had met the Inspector's concerns and officers recommended that 'on balance' the benefits of the development outweighed issues such as poor amenity and lack of quality children's play space.

The  developer announced that the 'moud' in the green space, much derided by residents' comments on the planning portal, could be dropped. The developer expressed satisfaction that out of 1,000 residents contacted, 25 had attended a consultation meeting.

 The Huddlestone Road resident made it clear that they wanted to see the site redeveloped, there has been problems with squatters etc but that it should meet the guidelines set out by the council.

Theoretically the council expect 50% of developments to be 'affordable' although that term has itself become almost meaningless with the variou s different interpretations, Brent Council is willing to go down to 35% affordable but in practice at Planning Committee the proportion is much lower as the result of financial viability assessments.

 Last night Cllr Liz Dixon asked how the 7 affordable units Brent Council has claimed were possible, was somehow reduced to four (16%),  or possibly none with a £1.1m contribution from the developer instead.  It is worth asking if that amount could fund the building of 1 three bedroom dwelling and 3 two bedroom.

 Officers undertook to try and find a Registered Provider to manage the social homes but said that RPs were not usually interested in such a small number. Brent Council could also consider being the RP but failing that the contribution would be requested.

As affordability is such an issue locally and nationally, I have included a video of the planning officer's explanation below. 

As the police are part of the public sector I do wonder if when their property becomes redundant, rather than being sold off privately, it should not become part of the One Public Estate and used for council housing.

Of limited historical value only perhaps, this is a document produced I think around 2016 (like many Brent documents it is undated) that provides some explanaion regarding affordable housing. LINK

Willesden community shows true community solidarity for fire victim Albert

 

Readers may remember the fire in a Willesden High Road last December where brave locals used their initiative to rescue people from the floors above the shop LINK. 

One of the tenants, Albert, was left with nothing after the fire and Michel Roberts, of nearby Michael Styles,  launched a fundraiser to help Albert recover from the calamity.

Michael has sent me a video showing the true spirit of Willesden as the money raised by the community was handed over to Albert to help him set up his life again in his new accommodation:

 

Two sides of Brent as community mount a fire rescue and a woman dies in a shooting

 It was a real mixed 'Brent weekend' with the community coming  together to save people from a serious fire in Willesden LINK and the dreadful news of a female dying in a fatal shooting in Harlesden LINK. Our thanks go out to the life savers in Willesden and our sympathy to the family and friends of the Harlesden victim.

My thanks to Michael Roberts of the Michael Styles hair salon in High Road, Willesden for permission to publish the videos he posted on Next Door and other social media:  first hand account of the rescue and the struggle to get help for a hearing impaired man in the aftermath.

 

Michael Roberts has set up a Funding page for Albert to help him get back on his feet.

Public, police and fire brigade mount rescue at Willesden High Road shop fire

Credit: Metropolitan Police

From Metropolitan Police

The bravery of two police officers, along with members of the public, has been lauded after they entered a burning building in Willesden High Road  to rescue occupants who were inside.

The incident unfolded at around 13:10hrs on Friday, 13 December after emergency services were called to reports of a fire in a three-storey building on High Road , NW10.

Officers were quickly on scene and immediately recognised the dangerous situation unfolding in front of them with smoke billowing from windows and reports of people still inside a flat on the first floor.

Two officers, along with members of the public, entered the building and made their way up to the first floor. They directed residents out of the building but were alerted to a man who was trapped in an upstairs flat. Utilising a ladder located in a courtyard area at the back of the building, a member of the public managed to break a window and help the man escape.

Thankfully no-one was seriously injured although three residents and one of the officers, who is aged in his 20s, were taken to hospital for treatment due to the effects of smoke inhalation. One officer remains in hospital and all are expected to make a full recovery.

The officers are being supported following the ordeal.

Commander Paul Trevers said: 

 

The actions of these officers exemplifies the qualities that runs through the core of our officers in the Met police – bravery, tenacity and above all a desire to keep the public safe when faced with danger.

Confronted with a terrifying situation and knowing that people were at risk they did not hesitate in going into that building to protect the lives of others. I am immensely proud of their actions as I’m sure all Londoners will be.

I would also like to praise the courage of the members of the public who, alongside our officers, helped ensure the safety of those inside the building.

 

Credit: London Fire Brigade

From London Fire Brigade

Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a fire at a shop with flats above on Willesden High Road. 

Part of the ground floor and a small part of the ceiling void between the ground and first floors were alight. Firefighters rescued two people from a roof using a short extension ladder. Five further people left the property before the Brigade arrived and were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.

The Brigade's 32-metre turntable ladder was used at the scene as an observation platform. 

Station Commander Chucks Abili, who was at the scene, said: 

Crews worked hard to access the voids and bring the fire under control.

The fire was producing heavy smoke, so we advised local residents keep their windows and doors closed.

Willesden High Road was closed between Bertie Road and Hawthorn Road and we encouraged people to avoid the area during the afternoon, particularly as rush hour approached.

The Brigade's Control Officers took the first of eight calls to the fire at 1308 and mobilised crews from West Hampstead, Park Royal, North Kensington, Kentish Town and Wembley fire stations to the scene. The fire was under control by 1521.

 

UPDATED: Details of the 'significant changes' in Dudden Hill/Willesden High Road application which led to deferral

 

Matt Kelcher, Chair of Brent Planning Committee, announced that the planning application for the very large development between Dudden Hill and High Road, Willesden, would not be taken at tonight's meeting.

The reason given was that the developer had submitted 'significant' late changes to the application, presumably to address the reasons planning officers had given for, unusually in Brent, recommending refusal of the applciation LINK.

Sceptics on social media had already suggested that 'the developer will be back with a few changes and then the planners and committee will back it.'

It may come back as early a next month when officers have had a chance to assess it and committee members have had time to review revised documentation.

Let's wait and see if the sceptics are right.

UPDATE 

Philip Grant sent the comment below which tells us much more:

I  think that the answer to what the 'significant late changes' were for application 18/3498 is contained in the supplementary report to the Planning Committee meeting (main text "copy and pasted" below for information).

Instead of changing the affordable housing offer for their own scheme, the developers are offering to pay the Council £1.5m, to build affordable rented accommodation somewhere else in the borough!

The current shortfall on "affordable rent" in their scheme is 13 homes. Would £1.5m cover the cost of building that many new Council homes?

Following this 'significant change', will Planning Officers now recommend the application for approval? I wouldn't bet against it!

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT:-

'Revised Affordable Housing Offer:

At the time of writing the Officers Committee Report, the formal offer proposed by the applicant was for 66% affordable housing on a non-policy compliant split, weighted in favour of Shared Ownership homes. The Officers Report outlines that the proposed affordable housing offer is unacceptable as it over delivers Shared Ownership homes at the expense of 13 London Affordable Rented homes, which would meet the most acute needs of the borough.

Since the publication of the report, the applicant has proposed a payment of £1.5 million to be used toward the provision of off-site affordable housing to mitigate the under-provision of London Affordable Rented (LAR) homes. This would be in addition to the 66% affordable housing discussed in the main report.

Revised Retail Parking Arrangements:  

The officers committee report also raises concerns with the quantum of retail parking without an appropriate parking price regime to encourage non car access and regarding the under-provision of residential blue-badge parking.

Since the publication of the agenda, the applicant has agreed “To enter into a retail car park management plan with the council and a space re-allocation plan allocating up to 10 retail parking spaces to disabled parking spaces”. This would allow for a strategy for parking management to be agreed with the applicant.

Application to be deferred:

 
Officers recommend that this application is deferred to allow the report to be updated to reflect and consider the revised offer and arrangements

'Matters of balance' reveal conflicts and contradictions in Brent planning policy

 

Video of Gerry Ansell's summing up re the proposal and councillor's reasons for voting against

The Planning Committee of October 14th was notable as the first the be chaired by Cllr Matt Kelcher following the Labour and Council AGM, for its length and for the way in which the themes that emerged during the discussion of the application to redevelop the site of the Willesden Green PoliceSstation revealed some of the conflictions and contradictions in Brent Council's planning policies and guidance.

This is the Council's recording of the decision:

Although the lack of affordability housing in the development took up a great deal of time in the discussion, and was cited as a reason for rejection by some councillors, they were 'cautioned' by Gerry Ansell, Head of Planning and Development Services, that when it came to professional advice on viability there was no viability in this scheme. Independent professional advice was that if the scheme was to be financially viable for the developer all 28 units had to be sold at market rates and no affordable housing could be provided. Planning Officer David Glover said that the concerns over affordable housing could be recorded in the Minutes of the meeting but not in the reasons for refusal.

Ansell said that there were particular factors in this development that reduced viability.  It was in a sensitive location with a building of quality with associated costs for its retention and restoration that reduced land values.

He said that affordable housing was a core Council policy but issues are 'a matter of balance.' He assured councillors that officers pushed developers hard on affordability.

Cllr Arshad Mamhood was particuarly vexed working out that the market value was about £10m and the developer was only required to contribute £143,000 to off-site affordable housing elsewhere. Councillors were told that this could be used for the equivalent of 1-1/2 units elsewhere in the borough.

Cllr Mahmood asked that councillors be able to look more closely at the detail of Viability Assessments so that they could scrutinise them. He was told that they were available on the Council website before applications came to Committee.

 

 The retained police station with the new development behind

The recently liberated (from Cabinet) Cllr Tom Miller, representing his ward, spoke against the development.  He told the Committee:

I feel that with only this proposal on the table, what the Committee are being asked is, 'Would you rather have a development that is out of character with, not just the local area, but a conservation area?' and show we are not serious about preserving that or, 'Would you rather have a proposal that shows we are not serious about having  enough affordable homes?'

It's asking the Local Authority to pick which of our policies we should ditch and that for me has 'REJECT' written all over it. It is throwing down a challenge to the Committte, 'Which of these is not important.'

I'd rather not have a conservation area at all then have a conservation area that allows developers to drive right through it.

Both he and fellow Willesden Green councillor, Cllr Donnelly-Jackson said that they had not been approached bu the developers and consulted.

A positive aspect of the discussion was the planners assertion that they had been keen to ensure the retention of the police station and recognised its historial merit depite it not being a listed building. Cllr Dixon spoke about the important historical character of this section of the High Road.

Other issues that came up were carless developments that just meant residents would spill over into nearby streets to park, the development overlooking neighbour's gardens and in one particular case reducing the light  entering a neighbour's property to almost zero. The sheer bulk of the property in contrast to the local side streets  and the High Road and the lack of proper consultation were major issues - along with the 146 objections to the scheme.

The Committee voted to reject the proposal with Cllr Liz Dixon and Cllr Saqib Butt abstaining.

 

 

 

 

Council tells Willesden Bookshop to quit by April 17th 2012

Steve Adams and other workers at the Willesden Bookshop have sent me this comment on  my story about the bookshop's uncertain future if the Willesden Green Library redevelopment goes ahead.

We are mystified and a little confused by the fact that both the November and December Executive meetings did not have the redevelopment proposals on the agenda. We had originally been told that a decision would be made at the November meeting, and just prior to that the Property and Management division of the Council served a Section 25 notice on us: a legal notice giving us 6 months' notice to terminate our tenancy and requesting vacant possession by April 17th 2012. They made it clear that there would be no provision for retail space in the new building.

Naturally, we are dismayed at the prospect of our tenancy being terminated. Having looked at rent levels on the High Road we are not confident that we could afford to relocate - given all the current pressures on independent bookshops in this new age of the Kindle and Amazon's dominant market position - although we have not taken any final decision on this.

We will circulate a link to your blog amongst various customers and local residents who have offered support in trying to make the Council aware of the strength of local opposition to these plans for a mammoth apartment complex with a library and museum buried somewhere in its midst. No local residents we have spoken to want this development - and consider it further folly that when 6 libraries are being closed, one of the few remaining large libraries should then be closed for al least two years with only some adhoc temporary facility taking its place.

The Kilburn Bookshop  closed at the end of March last year. You can see the manager's comments on its demise HERE