“As the ward Councillor for this development I strongly object to this application for the following reasons which largely relate to its height of 19 stories and the lack of real social housing. My reasons are as follows
The 100% affordable claim is inaccurate. There are no affordable units to rent, they are all London Living Rent and shared ownership which most public sector workers cannot afford
As nurse I am particularly concerned about the large amount of shared ownership properties within it. A presentation by our own cabinet member stated that there are not suitable for all of Ealing and this is especially true where there is likely to be significant increase in the market value of a property (as in this development when the cross rail station opens) meaning that the shared ownership element will become increasingly unaffordable and therefore return to the open market
At 19 stories, the tallest building in that part of Ealing and many stories larger than anything else in the area and it is almost completely surrounded by Victorian terraces. It would therefore be completely out of keeping with the character of the area.
The precedent has been set for ‘out of character’ to be grounds for refusing planning permission in Ealing in the Carlton Rd (St Albans/Southfields) application
The London Plan states, with regard to tall buildings, that development should be in response to a site’s context therefore this is not in keeping with the London Plan
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government National Design Guide’s ’10 Characteristics of Good Design’ to which all councils should adhere to, states that buildings should ‘integrate into their surroundings so they relate well to them’ and ‘have a character that suits the context’
At this height it is likely to rule out any other development nearby (where there is space to build) as it will cast too large a shadow and therefore have light and privacy problems for other potential builds
It will have a significant negative visual Impact on neighbouring Local Heritage Buildings
The proposal is nearly four times more than the current maximum density recommendation for the site
There will be significant loss of privacy for hundreds of local residents
There will be significant loss of light for hundreds of residents in this and surrounding wards
It is not in keeping with our manifesto pledge to reduce Ealing’s carbon footprint
There have been a number of meetings to develop a local plan in this area for which there is much enthusiasm from residents. This is not in keeping it the early discussion plus to give planning permission at the point at which the plan is being developed would be inappropriate timing
I am keen to see development in this area but at an appropriate height (10-12 stories) and with more real social housing.”
Dr Linda Burke
