2 and 4 Cranhurst Road, Willesden Green before refurbishment
After
Willesden Green resident Simon Campbell has written to his councillors about the paving over of the front gardens of two Brent Council properties in Cranhurst Road, Willesden Green:
I am contacting you all regarding No’s 2 &4 Cranhurst Road NW24LN and their current refurbishment.
I have checked with Brent Council who confirmed that these properties are owned/managed by Brent Council and so will be responsible for overseeing the works being done to the properties.
The issue I have identified is the builders have completely removed any vegetation/garden with water permeable materials and instead installed a large expanse of non-permeable paving. (see attached)
Victorian housing stock such as these, were designed with water permeable front gardens to allow the clay subsoil adequate access to moisture so issues do not arise from subsidence and provide a green amenity.
As can be seen, previously there was planting, some biodiversity and drainage as there should be, and contrast this with the barren sterile environment that has replaced it. Brent Council like every other Local Authority does not allow such interventions for obvious reasons, so I cannot explain why this approach has been taken?
I would hope and expect that Brent Council would lead by example as regards best practice.
Brent needs as much greenery as possible; it also needs to decrease the amount of surface runoff going into the sewer system – this intervention fails on both counts.Making the properties more susceptible to future subsidence issues is not an advisable strategy.
Can you please investigate and find who is responsible for overseeing these works and let me know when this aspect can be remediated?
I raised this matter on the 'chat' at last night's Brent Environmental Network event: Creating greener communities: Why nature and biodiversity is vital and pointed out that there is not even the excuse that this will be used as car parking - it is a walled frontage.
