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Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Green Spaces Under Threat
Rectory Farm. Plans to create what developers claimed
would be west London’s biggest new park for a century
have been refused. Hounslow council rejected plans to
extract gravel from Rectory Farm in Cranford. Applicant
Formal Investments proposed to excavate three million
cubic metres of gravel and construct subterranean
warehouse space in the resulting voids “for storage and
other activities.” A 110-acre park would be created above
the storage complex. The gravel would be removed
section by section, allowing most of the site to remain
open to the public over the 15-20 years of extraction. The
council rejected the application saying traffic movements
and S106 agreements had not been resolved. It also said
the project represented inappropriate development in the
green belt. Heston Residents Association criticised the
council’s decision. It complained the disused farmland is
plagued by fly-tipping and drug-dealing
.
QPR plans for Warren Farm
Brent Lea. Protesters are opposing plans for a new
primary school at Brent Lea Recreation Ground in
Hounslow. The school’s founders say that need for school
places meets the ‘very special circumstances’ required to
build on Metropolitan Open Land. Campaigners say that
other schools can meet the demand for places and
brownfield sites are available for development. At a public
meeting, the council said the school will be in place for
only two years and the rent it receives will be used to
improve the rest of the park. Residents were sceptical that
the school will be moved after two years. The council
revealed that it had conducted an internal review of the
quality and distribution of sites across the borough but had
not made it public
.
Osterley. A second school plan in Hounslow threatens a
former playing field at the old Conquest Club site,
Osterley. The chairman of the Nishkam School Trust said:
A massive number of extra secondary school places are
needed in Hounslow by 2019. The process of finding a
site has taken over 18 months, during which time we
looked at 197 sites. The land is currently in a state and is
prone to fly-tipping. We want to regenerate it, while
maintaining all the woodland. We’re not planning to cut
down any trees.
Opponents say that brownfield alternatives are available
and the site was not included in Hounslow’s local plan .
Mansfield Open Space. The Dartmouth Park
Conservation Area Advisory Committee has objected to
plans for 21 houses on a bowling green, tennis courts and
open space. The site is not currently publicly accessible
and the new scheme will include public open space,
replacement tennis courts and a community garden. The
site is an asset of community value but no community bid
came forward when it was advertised for sale
.
Plans for a new park in Cranford with
underground storage
Warren Farm. Revised plans have been submitted by
Queens Park Rangers for its controversial new training
facility on Metropolitan Open Land at Warren Farm in
Ealing. The Save Warren Farm campaign is continuing to
battle against the development and is trying to get the site
listed as an asset of community value
.
Plans for Mansfield Open Space
1
Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Spaces for People
Pop ups. Transport for London has opened a pop up
garden on a disused platform at Barbican station . Ooze
Architects has completed its King’s Cross Pond Club, a
pop-up artwork and swimming pool, which has planning
permission for two years
. A pop up office around a
tree trunk is to be erected for seven months in Hoxton
Square, Hackney as part of the 2 Degrees Festival
.
King’s Cross Pond Club
Pop up office in Hoxton Square
Gardens. A survey shows only 15% of people know their
neighbours well enough to regularly socialise with them
but 84% rate a sense of community as important. Nearly
half, 46%, think that community gardens could help would
allow them to socialise with more people, get to know
their neighbours and build a stronger sense of community
. A tropical roof garden has opened above a new
Crossrail station at Canary Wharf in London . Green
roofs on bus shelters. It’s a nice idea but it’s in Hyde Park,
Boston, USA not Hyde Park, London .
Gardens… Watermeads in Wandsworth, which is also
known as the Secret Garden, is open to the public for the
first time in over 100 years . Lambeth Palace garden has
extended its opening times . From winter 2016/17 free
access will no longer be available to the formal gardens at
Hampton Court through the Governor’s Gate .
Gardening. The Royal Horticultural Society has launched
a new website to encourage horticulture in schools as part
of its Campaign for School Gardening . The Guardian
looked at the vegetable patches of east London, including
Growing Communities and Made in Hackney .
Designation. Natural England has confirmed the
designation of Bushy Park and Home Park in Richmond
as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The SSSI has been
designated because of its internationally significant
populations of rare insects, the exceptionally large
numbers of ancient and veteran trees growing on the site,
and the presence of extensive areas of special grassland
habitat. More than 200 veteran trees have been identified
of which 94 are classed as ancient .
Tree awards. Queensbridge Neighbours Tree Project won
the Street Tree category in the London Tree and
Woodland Awards 2015. The award was for planting 89
dawn redwoods trees along the A5 Edgware Road. The
Community Tree Award went to Broomfield Community
Orchard for transforming an unused bowling green into a
thriving orchard. The Hillingdon Group of the London
Wildlife Trust won the Community Woodland Award for
their work to protect and enhance local woodlands
.
Projects. The campaign for a Greater London National
Park has launched a crowdfunding project to fund a
broadsheet newspaper to be delivered across London as art
of its campaign to promote the project . Vauxhall
Missing Link Green Trail, a mile-long route from
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens to the Damien Hirst Gallery in
Newport Street, has been opened. Signs along the trail
route were immediately stolen
. The trail is the
new home for a Chelsea Gold winning garden by Hugo
Bugg .
Vauxhall Missing Link (Lambeth council)
Roof garden at Canary Wharf
Roundup. Research across 34 European nations by the
universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh Living suggests
living near a good park drastically reduces the well-being
gap between rich and poor people . The BBC profiled
the 11,000 acres of green space run by the City of London
Corporation .
2
Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Garden Bridge
The row over the bridge shows no sign of abating
. Politicians, architects and community groups
attended a packed meeting in Waterloo to attack the
scheme
. More than 4,000 people have signed a
protest petition . Architect Zaha Hadid said that the
bridge would bock views of St Pauls but added: “On the
other hand, Blackfriars station blocks the view” . The
Observer wrote in its editorial :
Faith in the bridge requires the discounting of
drawbacks such as the felling of more than 30 mature
trees and the occupation with retail of what is currently
open space; that it will be forbidden to picnic or cycle
there; that the bridge will be regularly closed for
corporate events and for several hours every night.
The Times Thunderer did not agree: “A garden bridge
across the Thames is a fabulous idea that is now bringing
out the worst in a small but vociferous gang of moaners”
. In a letter to the Telegraph, Joanna Lumley defended
the project . She said: “To have something as daring,
exciting and unusual as a garden bridge seems a suitable
tribute to a much-loved river… There is a strong transport
and infrastructure case for the project… To cross the
Thames in the quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of
London life, will be a pleasure.”
The judicial review into whether the £175 million Thomas
Heatherwick designed bridge can be built will be heard on
10 & 11 June. Resident Michael Ball is arguing that
Lambeth council has failed to protect the settings of listed
buildings and that the long-term funding arrangements for
the operation and maintenance of the bridge have not been
properly considered. Mr Ball described the bridge as “a
dreadful folly which is receiving ever-wider criticism, is
clearly unnecessary and is strongly opposed locally by the
people it is supposed to represent” .
Construction. The Garden Bridge Trust has outlined the
construction timetable, which envisages the bridge
opening in June 2016 . The trust has also released
details of how the bridge will be planted. The South Bank
will include species once common on Lambeth Marsh and
central London. The South Glade will be woodland
featuring plants giving spring blossom and autumn fruit.
The Scarp will be the central span and will create an
environment similar to a cliff top landscape. The North
Glade will be a second woodland area taking inspiration
from the parks and gardens of old London. The North
Bank landscape will echo nearby Temple Gardens with
scented late winter and early spring flowering shrubs
. Contractors have been appointed to complete the
detailed design of the bridge . Lambeth council said it
will seek a guarantee from the Mayor or Transport for
London that it will not become liable for any costs if the
Garden Bridge Trust fails to meet its obligations .
King’s College
Plans for the Strand
Plans and protests. In April, Westminster council gave
planning permission to demolish unlisted historic
buildings in the Strand to make way for redevelopment of
part of King’s College . The approval has led to
widespread criticism from heritage groups. The Victorian
Society said: “This damaging plan would see London lose
a characterful group of historic buildings and some of the
last traces of the Strand’s historic street pattern of
distinctive narrow plots” . Save Britain’s Heritage
agreed: “These are buildings of great charm on one of
London’s most historic and central thoroughfares” . A
petition launched by Save has gained nearly 10,000
signatures . King’s College defended its schemes
saying: “The plans we submitted have been approved by
Westminster City Council and reflect the development
area’s historic context” .
Holding direction. Shortly after his appointment, the new
secretary of state for communities, Greg Clark, issued an
Article 31 holding direction preventing Westminster
council from granting consent until he decides whether to
call in the application
.
Historic England. Following this direction, Historic
England changed its position on the demolition. It had
initially described the development as causing “less than
substantial harm” to the conservation area. It has now
revised that opinion to “substantial harm”. It said
improvements could be made to college facilities whilst
retaining the façades . Simon Jenkins noted wryly: “On
such semantics hangs the fate of historic London” . The
shift in advice also led to an angry response from
Westminster’s planning director John Walker :
We are surprised to learn about this sudden change of
heart. We are concerned about the implications for future
schemes in London, as local authorities give a huge
amount of thought to applications when they receive
advice from Historic England… If we are going to
initially receive unreliable advice and then changes of
mind so late in the day, the role and value of Historic
England has to be questioned.
King’s College subsequently took a more conciliatory line
in a statement :
As an institution we have strong heritage values and are
sensitive to the architecturally significant environment in
which we operate… We recognise the groundswell of
opinion with regard to the Strand façades, in particular
from Historic England… We are in discussions with
Westminster City Council about the best way forward to
take on board concerns and ensure a successful project.
3
Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Around the Capital
Camden. Market Tech Holdings is drawing up plans to
turn the vaults under Camden Lock into an underground
village of restaurants, markets and exhibitions . A
petition calling for the Camden Lock Village development
to be stopped has been signed by more than 10,000 people
.
Greenwich. The East Greenwich Residents Association
(EGRA) is demanding an environmental assessment of
plan to berth cruise ships at Enderby Wharf. The
association is concerned about air pollution from ships at
the berth, which will use their diesel engines to remain
stationary, not onshore electricity. The group is also
worried about plans for an extra 384 apartments on the site
and a drop in affordable housing provision from 16% from
the 20% originally planned
. EGRA has published
an analysis of what it calls “the dire state of public realm
on Trafalgar Road and Woolwich Road” and issued a
manifesto calling for Greenwich council to make
improvements. The group is planning to bid to the
Mayor’s High Street Fund to kick start improvements .
A citizen science survey by the East Greenwich Residents
Association has shown that air pollution in East
Greenwich continues to breach legal limits .
Olympicopolis. The V&A has appointed architects to
design its new outpost at the education and cultural
complex at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . A team led
by Allies and Morrison has won a competition to design
the culture and university complex at Stratford Waterfront
.
Newham. Boris Johnson has announced plans for the
redevelopment of Albert Island in London’s Royal Docks.
Developers are being asked to come up with proposals
which will include industrial space, a boatyard, marina
and housing .
Nine Elms. Battersea Power Station Development
Company has increased the number of affordable homes
which will be built across the site from 517 to 581 .
Wandsworth council has approved plans to build 839
homes on the former Battersea gasholder site. Just under a
quarter of the homes in the Phase 4A development will be
affordable. The scheme will incorporate 60,900 sq. ft. of
new public realm including a 10,000 sq. ft. central garden
square with children’s play area, outdoor fitness spaces
and hard surface areas for pop up events
.
Hammersmith and Fulham. West London Link, the
architects who are promoting the Hammersmith Flyunder,
is holding exhibitions and a question time event
throughout June . Developer St James has been granted
planning permission for a development of up to 1,465
homes on the M&S Mock Shop Warehouse site on Wood
Lane, White City, almost a third of which will be
affordable. The development will include a new four acre
public park called White City Green
.
Plans for Enderby Wharf
Hounslow. Friends of Boston Manor are opposing plans
by BSkyB for 120 car spaces on Boston Manor Park,
underneath the M4 flyover. They say the plans will divide
the park and could set a precedent for permanent parking
. Brentford Football Club has published detailed plans
for housing around its planned new stadium, including a
number of tower blocks. Native species woodland trees
and planting will enhance the existing wildlife corridors of
the railway verges. Residents will have access to elevated
podium gardens and “roof terraces and brown roofs will
be integrated across the site, providing more opportunity
for greening of the area”
.
Plans for White City
Southwark. Artist Alex Chinneck’s upside-down house is
to be demolished to make way for new development .
Westminster. A planning inspector has backed
Westminster council’s refusal of a temporary scaffold
shroud screen advertisement. The inspector said the
advertising hoarding “would be out of keeping and it
would detract from the character and appearance of the
area” despite the area including a wide range of
advertisements. The site is in the Leicester Square
Conservation Area and he said: “The inclusion of an
advert of this scale would result in a harmful impact on
amenity and would detract from the character and
appearance of the conservation area” .
Greening plans for Brentford FC
4
Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Heritage
Stripes. The owner who painted her £15m Kensington
house in red and white stripes has said she will refuse to
comply with council orders to remove them. Kensington
and Chelsea council said: “If the notice is not complied
with by 3 July 2015 then the council can enter the
property and carry out the necessary works. Furthermore
the council can charge the owner for the costs” .
Hampstead. Boy George’s appeal to build an extension to
his Hampstead Heath mansion has been rejected by a
planning inspector. The inspector ruled that a glass
structure running along the extension would “cause harm
to the architectural significance” of the building, which is
part of a group of historic properties called The Logs. He
said: “The juxtaposition of the glazing to the historic
fabric and architectural details of the listed building would
harm its significance” .
Shell Centre. The appeal court has agreed to hear an
appeal from local resident George Turner who is
challenging a decision by Eric Pickles to approve
redevelopment. Mr Turner had lost an earlier hearing at
the high court where he argued that the planning inspector
had failed to properly consider the viability of the
proposed scheme and the level of affordable housing in
coming to his recommendation
.
Roundup. Historic England has completed a survey of
railway goods sheds and warehouses . The Victorian
Society is asking people to nominate candidates for the
most endangered buildings in England and Wales .
Planning
Social infrastructure. Boris Johnson has published
Supplementary Planning Guidance on social infrastructure
. Social infrastructure includes facilities such as
green spaces, doctors surgeries, community centres and
places of worship. The SPG provides guidance on
planning for lifetime neighbourhoods: places where
people are able to live and work in safe, healthy,
supportive and inclusive environments with which they
are proud to identify. It says:
Development should be designed so that the layout,
tenure and mix of uses interface with surrounding land
and improve people’s access to social and community
infrastructure (including green spaces), the Blue Ribbon
Network, local shops, employment and training
opportunities, commercial services and public transport.
The SPG champions pedestrian access:
Walkability in particular goes to the heart of lifetime
neighbourhoods. It describes the ease with which
pedestrians can get around outdoor spaces, and has
crucial implications for individual access to services and
facilities.
The guidance devotes a chapter to sports facilities:
Where sports facility developments are proposed on
existing open space, they will need to be considered
carefully in light of policies on green belt and protecting
open space… Regular physical activity… reduces the
risk of adults developing a range of long term illnesses…
and can be strongly facilitated by attractive, walkable
neighbourhoods with good access to green space.
FALP. The Mayor is consulting on minor amendments to
the London Plan on housing and parking .
Planning permissions. A study by planning consultancy
Daniel Watney found a considerable variation of the rates
of permissions awarded by London boroughs. It said
Bromley, Croydon, Redbridge, Newham, Greenwich,
Harrow and Hillingdon councils all turned down more
than half of applications they received in 2014. In Enfield,
just 37% were granted. In Wandsworth 92% were
approved. Tower Hamlets approves more than 80% of
applications .
Tall buildings. Boris Johnson has rejected calls for a
Skyline Commission to oversee plans for tall buildings in
the capital. He said: “I do not think a Skyline Commission
is either desirable or necessary because London already
possesses the requisite plans and means to implement
them effectively.” The London Plan provided a
“sufficiently robust” framework for ensuring that new tall
buildings were constructed in appropriate locations:
“There is already a high level of scrutiny of any tall
building proposal in London, including from Design
Council and English Heritage, where a high benchmark
has to be passed in order to get planning permission.”
Johnson offered support for the Assembly’s proposal for
an interactive 3D model of London that could be used to
assess the impact of proposals
. Writing in Planning,
Chris Brown said: “Badly designed, badly located high
rise buildings are again blighting London as they did in
the 1960s and 70s” . A new high-rise building is
planned next to Guy’s Hospital in St Thomas Street at
London Bridge, just across the road from the Shard .
Basements. Kensington and Chelsea borough said it
received around 400 planning applications for basement
extensions in 2014, compared to just 46 in 2001. Last year
it restricted the size of basement development allowed
under permitted development rights. Now it wants to
sweep away these rights altogether through a borough
wide Article 4 direction .
Light pollution. Dartmouth Park Conservation Area
Advisory Committee is calling on Camden council to
scrutinise planning applications to ensure that they do not
add to light pollution in the area .
Mount Pleasant challenge. Islington and Camden
councils have applied for a judicial review of Boris
Johnson’s grant of planning permission for the Royal
Mail’s Mount Pleasant site
. The councils say the
Mayor failed in his duty to provide the maximum amount
of affordable housing on the site that could reasonably be
delivered. Johnson granted planning permission for 681
homes on the site in October last year after the councils
failed to make a timely decision. The councils say that at
least 42% affordable housing should have been provided,
with the majority for social rent. However the approved
scheme has just 24% affordable housing – including
‘affordable rents’ that could be two or three times the level
of social rent. Planning lawyers see this as a test case on
how much affordable housing can be provided without
undermining the viability of a project. The powers of the
Mayor to intervene could also be weakened if the councils
succeed in the high court .
Greenwich council is consulting on the information to be
submitted with planning applications. It wants developers
to provide a fully public viability study for proposed
residential developments with less than 35% affordable
homes. The viability study will then be subject to full
public consultation. Closes 22 June
.
5
Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Westminster council is consulting on its housing strategy,
which aims to increase affordable housing and enable low
and middle income households to live and prosper in the
city. It plans for 1,250 more affordable homes in the next
five years and for more intermediate homes. A new policy
will insist that 60% of new affordable homes delivered
through S106 agreements are intermediate and 40% social.
Consultation closes 31 July .
South London Partnership. Five south London councils
have launched a bid for more devolution in their area.
Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton
boroughs want greater transport powers and control of
business rates. They plan to deliver 20,000 new homes,
over half a million projected new jobs by 2036 and a
£5.21bn regeneration programme in Croydon
.
Pubs. The Chesham Arms in Hackney is to reopen after a
two-year legal battle by the Save the Chesham group
saved it from conversion to housing. The pub was
declared an Asset of Community Value in March and
Hackney council issued an Article 4 direction preventing
its conversion
. Westminster council has served an
enforcement notice requiring the 1920s Carlton Tavern in
Maida Vale to be rebuilt brick by brick. The pub was
demolished at a weekend while it was being considered
for listing. Historic England welcomed the council’s
decision
. The Financial Times said pubs are
particularly vulnerable to conversion in an era of soaring
house prices and wide ranging permitted development
rights. Last year, ministers exempted pubs that are
registered as assets of community value from the rights.
Guy Nicholson, Hackney council cabinet member for
regeneration, told the newspaper that the localism policy
was not robust enough to cope with an overheated
property market. Pub regulars and local councils had to
fight every step of the way to protect their pubs but “the
developer only has to win once” .
Wandsworth council has adopted its Town Centre Uses
supplementary planning document. The guidance gives
planners stronger grounds to refuse applications to
redevelop pubs. Planning permission is required to open a
betting or payday loan shop. It also constrains the number
of new fast food takeaways that can open with 400 metres
of local schools or colleges.
Housing
Persuasion. The Mayor plans to publish annual figures on
housing permissions and completions for boroughs in a
bid to put pressure on councils to increase housebuilding
. Deputy Mayor Sir Edward Lister said:
Boroughs have to recognise the challenges and come
back to the table with solutions. If they don’t, the
pressure on the mayor to step in will be enormous.
Hopefully, persuasion will get the boroughs to do the
right thing.
Carrots and sticks. A report from London First and
Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners calls for a carrot-andstick approach to housing delivery in London. The authors
want increased financial benefits for boroughs that meet
housing targets and greater powers to the Mayor to
intervene should boroughs fail. They propose a London
Housing Delivery Bonus, allocated by the Mayor, which
would be in addition to the existing New Homes Bonus,
which they describe as weak .
Brownfield. The London Chamber of Commerce and
Industry said that boroughs lack data on brownfield land,
with the most recent survey dating to 2012. It said: “Little
action can be taken by the London Land Commission until
it has at least a basic understanding of the brownfield land
owned by local councils” .
Green belt. Mayoral candidate David Lammy stirred a
lively debate by tweeting: “Greenbelt regulations allow
older generations to protect their golf courses while young
people can’t afford a decent home. Needs to change” .
CPRE’s Paul Miner said Mr Lammy appeared to be in
danger of ignoring the green belt’s value “in terms of
preventing London sprawling and joining up with other
cities” . He continued:
There is still plenty of brownfield land available in
London itself for at least 300,000 new houses…
Weakening protections would lead to sprawl in many
cases; you would see the last areas of countryside
stopping London joining up with Watford and Slough in
danger of being lost.
Letting. Housing and planning minister Brandon Lewis
has abolished rules that required householders to obtain
planning permission to let their properties for fewer than
90 days
.
High Speed 2
Line ‘to go ahead’. Transport secretary Patrick
McLoughlin said the general election had given the
government a mandate to build the line and construction
work would start in 2017
. Writing in the New
Civil Engineer, HS2 chief David Higgins said that HS2
holds the key to productivity: “If, as a country, we want to
tackle our productivity problem we have to tackle both our
[transport] capacity problem… Crossrail will bring huge
benefits to London when it opens in two years’ time, but it
should have done so a long time ago. It was first
conceived of in 1880” .
Design vision. HS2 Ltd has published a preview of its
Design Vision for the line . The document says: “We
are designing from the pixel to the city – from digital
systems to urban infrastructure and so much else besides.”
The design vision is based on three principles of people,
place and time. It aims to ensure that: “Everything we
make works intuitively and well for all our audiences and
contributes to one seamless and enjoyable experience.” It
promises: “Small elements and big schemes meet rigorous
environmental standards and, collectively, add to our
cultural and natural heritage.”
Colne Valley. Hillingdon council, the Colne Valley
Community Forum and others have been lobbying HS2
Ltd. to consider an alternative proposal for a tunnel
passing beneath the River Colne and the Colne Valley
lakes between Ruislip and the M25, linking the Northolt
and Chiltern Tunnels. A report for the company says the
proposal would add between £185 million to £215 million
to the costs of the line. An additional 4.3 million cubic
metres of spoil would be generated, most of which would
have to be disposed of via the M25. The report
recommends that the current proposals are retained .
Brent. South Kilburn residents are fighting plans for a
vent shaft next to St Mary’s primary school. They say that
noise from construction will affect the health of children.
The shaft location is backed by Brent council .
6
Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Camden residents acted angrily to a presentation by HS2
Ltd which showed the land take required and the homes to
be demolished for the new Euston station. Work will
begin in 2017 and last until 2033 . Camden council has
slammed HS2 for failing to commit to plans which would
allow 1,900 new homes to be built above the station .
HS2 has applied for planning permission for 116 homes
on eight sites in to replace properties set to be demolished
for the new line. These will add to 70 flats which it
purchased last year . Camden councillor Phil Jones said:
This application marks a major step towards ensuring
people who are due to lose their homes to HS2 get new
flats in the area they know and love… Camden continues
to face all the pain and no gain from HS2. The council
will continue pressing for proper mitigation and
compensation for local residents and businesses if the
misguided project proceeds.
Air quality. As part of a new consultation, the Airports
Commission published revised data which suggest each of
the three shortlisted options for Heathrow and Gatwick
could go ahead without breaching legally-binding EU air
pollution limits in 2030. The estimates however suggest a
third runway or an extended northern runway at Heathrow
would delay efforts to comply with the EU limit . In its
response to the consultation, Heathrow claimed the
commission has confirmed that its proposed pollution
mitigation measures will enable a third runway to be built
without legal air quality limits being breached. The airport
also said the government must act to reduce road traffic
emissions from the M4 motorway. The Aviation
Environment Federation took the view that all expansion
options for Heathrow would lead to worsened air quality
. Ray Puddifoot leader of Hillingdon council said the
Airports Commission had got it wrong :
Davies is telling us that Heathrow can vastly increase
flights, passenger numbers and its freight operation, but
that there will be no extra traffic on local roads. This is
not credible or realistic.
Transport
Camden buildings to be demolished for HS2 (red)
and at risk (yellow)
Plans for replacement flats on Robert Street
Heathrow
Boris Johnson denied he would quit as an MP if the
government approves a third Heathrow runway. But he
said he would lie down “in front of those bulldozers and
stop the building, stop the construction of that third
runway” . He told the Times that the chances of
Heathrow expanding are “virtually nil” . He also said a
congestion charging zone could be brought in around
Heathrow if plans for a new runway were approved .
For and against. Back Heathrow, a campaign backed by
Heathrow, has gathered 100,000 signatures in support of a
third runway . Zac Goldsmith said the battle against
Heathrow expansion has been won . John Stewart,
chairman of protest group Hacan said some of its
members could come to a compromise and drop their
opposition to Heathrow expansion if it included generous
compensation, noise mitigation and reduced emissions .
Infrastructure. London First chief executive Jo Valentine
said London needs £50 billion over the next twenty years
to sustainability fund infrastructure. She wants more
powers to be devolved to the capital to raise funding and
introduce pan-London road pricing. Valentine is critical of
cycle superhighways and said she would prefer more
resources directed towards solving small junction
problems around London .
Cycling. Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman has called
for lorries to be banned at rush hour in London to protect
cyclists . The Royal Parks are continuing to object to a
two way superhighway along Birdcage Walk, saying it
should be routed along the Mall .
Rail. TfL has taken over services out of Liverpool Street
from Greater Anglia . TfL is consulting on the route of
the extension of London Overground to Barking
Riverside. Closes 21 June .
Buses. A petition launched by the Charlton Society to get
the 53 bus service restored to central London has gained
more than 300 signatures .
Roads. Plans to reroute the South Circular north of
Wandsworth town centre will go ahead after a positive
response in a public consultation . Boris Johnson said
he was looking at ways of restricting the number of
minicabs in the capital, after numbers increased by 18% in
18 months
. But he told the Assembly: “It is very
difficult to fight a huge change in consumer preference.
You’ve also got to face the desire of millions of people in
London to travel more cheaply” . Mr Johnson is also
considering banning rickshaws to “ease congestion” but
will need new national legislation to do so
. The
volume of cargo moved between wharves on the Thames
grew by 4% to 5.5million tonnes in 2015, keeping 50,000
lorries off the roads . TfL is drawing up plans to
manage growing freight traffic across the capital.
Transport commissioner Peter Hendy said :
We all rely on freight and logistics to keep London
thriving. The unprecedented growth and changing nature
of London is placing increasing pressure on our road
network. Never has the need to adapt been more pressing.
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Planning and Environmental News from CPRE London
Air quality. Lambeth is to follow Islington and
Westminster in issuing £20 fines to drivers who leave
their engines idling as part of a year-long campaign aimed
at cutting traffic pollution in the borough . Boris
Johnson confirmed the world’s first Ultra Low Emission
Zone (ULEZ) will begin in September 2020. The area is
that covered by the Congestion Charge Zone
.
City Airport. London City Airport confirmed it is going to
appeal Boris Johnson’s decision to block expansion of the
airport. It said: “We think the Mayor’s direction is wrong
and ignores the significant social and economic benefits
that the airport’s development will bring” .
Energy and Resources
Edmonton. The North London Waste Authority (NLWA)
is holding public exhibitions as part of the second phase of
consultation on the North London Heat and Power Project,
including a £500 million incinerator at the Edmonton
EcoPark. Consultation closes 30 June
The New Government
Labour gain. In the general election in London, the
Conservatives lost one seat, the Lib Dems six and Labour
gained seven
. There were no local elections in
London. Boris Johnson was elected MP for Uxbridge and
South Ruislip. He will attend David Cameron’s political
cabinet but does not have a ministerial portfolio
.
He has stepped down as chair of the London Legacy
Development Corporation and the Old Oak and Park
Royal Development Corporation. Lord Ahmad of
Wimbledon is to oversee London transport policy .
Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, is chief
secretary to the Treasury . Hands supported of Crossrail
2 and opposed the Thames Tideway Tunnel. For a listing
of new government members and bills of relevance to
CPRE, see the CPRE South East eBulletin .
Right to Buy. Around 3,500 council homes would have to
be sold in Islington, Haringey and Camden in the first five
years of the new policy on the sale of higher-value council
homes. A report for the councils says the sale of high
value empty properties is not likely to raise enough to pay
for the right-to-buy discounts for social tenants
. The communities department has refused to release its
financial analysis of the policy . Bob Kerslake, former
head of that department said he has ‘real doubts’ that the
government’s sums add up . Boris Johnson said there
are ‘legitimate concerns’ about the plans and told the
Assembly he would only support the Right to Buy if it led
to an increase in London’s housing supply .
The Green Belt at Redbridge
Proposed Edmonton EcoPark incinerator
Food waste. Boris Johnson has launched a £300,000 fund
to help create ‘social supermarkets’ that will make
otherwise unwanted supermarket food available cheaply to
those on very low incomes. The food is in-date but thrown
away by big retailers for a variety of reasons, including
items packaged incorrectly and over-production
.
Litter. Westminster City Council has teamed up with
charity Hubbub to launch Neat Streets to tackle the
growing problem of litter on our streets. The project will
involve a series of interactive installations and exhibitions
over the summer in Villiers Street to trial new ways of
encouraging people not to litter
.
Energy. CPRE is running a community energy workshop
for members at its national office on 14 July. Details from
[email protected]. London Local Energy has applied for
licenses to explore for shale gas in parts of Surrey and
Merton . Documents leaked to the press suggest that
heat supplied to homes from the Sutton incinerator might
be more expensive than that from conventional energy
suppliers . Barking and Dagenham council plans to set
up London’s first publicly owned renewable energy
company in an attempt to save the council £6m. The
project will see solar panels and wind turbines placed on
council-owned buildings and could see a water turbine in
the river Roding and street lights replaced by LED
lighting
.
Water. As construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel
gets underway, Washington DC is investing in green
infrastructure to absorb rainwater in place of building
storage tunnels
.
Options. Earlier this year, Redbridge council reviewed
four options for strategic sites for development. This was a
response to residents’ protests at plans to remove 22
hectares of Oakfield Recreation grounds from the green
belt – a move that would permit development on most of
the site, closing green spaces used by residents and
expelling the Old Parkonians, one of London’s longest
established sports clubs. Planning permission for Oakfield
is the just the start of a long struggle to find more
development land within the borough, which is required to
identify sites for more than 1,000 new homes every year.
Responses. Residents objected to all four consultation
options, though the council claimed that the Oakfield site
attracted the most write-in votes for development. Against
this claim, members of CPRE London pointed to the 5,000
signatures on a petition to Parliament and to more than
2,000 objections to the council. Regardless of the
consultation, the council seems set on confirming its
intention to agree a masterplan for development of
Oakfield. CPRE London is calling for a more radical
search for brownfield sites across London before precious
green spaces, especially those which have been
historically protected, are used.
The CPRE London eBulletin
Editorial. The CPRE London eBulletin is issued most
months. Any views expressed are those of the editor and
contributors, not of any part of CPRE. Andy Boddington,
Editor, [email protected].
CPRE London. 020 7253 0300, [email protected],
cprelondon.org.uk.
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