Despite the long list of reasons for refusal the hotel owners have now appealed the decision.
They have asked the Planning Inspectorate for an Inquiry expected to take place some time in 2016 . Simultaneously they have applied for a land swap , as the green space the hotel sits on is a protected garden square falling under the 1931 London Squares Protection Act .
Residents contend that there is simply no extra land left to exchange for the green space the casino would swallow up , and have secured legal advice from the garden square law specialist Robert Barham .
One resident commented, "We shall fight the destruction of our residential neighbourhood tooth and nail . They are trying to make us believe that we would get many benefits through the casino , when in truth there are none for the residents . All we would get are the fallout from a 24-hour , 365 days a year operation , and the problems associated with an extra 1,500 people a day visiting our area at all hours .
Other casinos run by the same operator offer delights such as Monday Night Madness and tout for hen parties, office parties and similar events. Their proud boast is "no night needs to be a quiet night"!
As far as residents are concerned RIEN NE VA PLUS !
Might is not always right. The Holiday Inn Hotel already causes a number of problems to our neighbourhood: constant taxi and coach traffic (diesel engines belching out poisonous fumes), patrons of their "special event nights" rolling out in the early hours of the morning, screaming and howling, Uber and Addison Lee cars waiting for customers... while illegally parked up in residents spaces, diesel engines running for a quick get away. The list goes on. Should this casino (God forbid!) receive planning consent on appeal, it would ruin our much loved area for sure. We refuse to be steam-rolled by the BIG BOYS!
ReplyDeleteAt least the planners in Hornton Street turned it down.
ReplyDeleteKensington Tory is the usual "voting on autopilot" crowd that they rely on.
DeleteThe Council (having "consulted" with the developers) decided to approve the scheme. It was only the last minute intervention by the Kensington Society, after much detailed research, that forced the Hornton Street planners to change their mind. They had previously turned down such an application many ears ago but had "forgotten about this".
The planners were all set to do the business after the secret "pre planning application process" with developers from which the Kensington Society and residents are excluded. It was only the bloody minded determination of the Chairman of the Kensington Society, Amanda Frame, that saved the day.
There is not a shred of circumstantial behaviour to suggest that Hornton Street planning is anything except crooked
Residents should be under no illusions about the extent of institutional obstruction by the planning department to suppress what is going on. The Kensington Society discovered that there are two sets of records used for information enquiries. The "public" set used for responses to Freedom of Information requests. These records are heavily edited. And another set that the public is denied access to which the planners use for their own email records.
DeleteThis was only discovered by chance by the Kensington Society during their probing of the original intention to approve the casino which had been taken by the planners after their "pre application" discussions with the developers.
The department sucks. Or as Cllr Ahern more politely put it, Horton Street planning "needs to become more resident friendly". The opinions of weak Tim have been swept aside by his fellow Cabinet members.
Its time for Tim Ahern to resign his Cabinet position in protest against the conduct of the Planning Department
DeleteAmanda,
Deleteyou werent the only person. The local residents did a formidable job in raising issues as well as Michael Bach.
Humble pie Amanda!
Michael Bach and Amanda Frame are one and the same. They run the Kensington Society!
DeleteThe Kensington Society needs to get some evidence into the appeal process. Fast.
ReplyDeleteThe Leader of the Council, Cllr Paget-Brown needs to take a personal interest in the defence that the Planning Department puts up against the application that they were/are minded to approve. We cannot trust these guys one single inch.
PB is out gunned on this. The planners in Hornton Street know how to play the long game. They will agree with the developers not to oppose the appeal or they will put in a weak case.
DeleteThere are more ways than one to "buy me a drink"
It is entirely probable that the crooked planning department has quietly urged their development friends to appeal the decision and finally see off the nuisance residents. A nod and a wink that "there will be no opposition" is more than enough to encourage the greedy builders
DeleteBehold the concrete carbuncles that now hold captive the former Commonwealth Institute on Ken High St, obscuring its majestic lines from view on all sides... and weep at such architectural abortions! If an integral part of a unique, 1950s-designed gem - the city park that fronted the building - can be so casually destroyed, what hope of any sensible decision from the loathsome developers' lackeys permanently installed at Hornton Street who, succeeding where Hitler's Luftwaffe failed, appear hellbent on destroying K&C's built heritage?
ReplyDeleteAs usual, the hornets are pissing in the wind
ReplyDeleteStop being a bore Palmer. Even Conservative colleagues think you have a few crews loose but tribal loyalty stops them acting
DeleteHear hear!! And stop squeaking with your damned chair during Council Meetings whenever someone you don't like has the word! School's out . Time to grow up!
DeleteThis stream of comments highlights how completely useless the Cabinet Member for Planning (Cllr Coleridge) has turned out in terms of creating a culture that is honest, just, and reflects the interests and concerns of residents.
ReplyDeleteFrom the ITN archives February 1959 Royal College of Art students in Kensington campaigning against ugly buildings rising on London's bomb-scarred areas. With placards, slogans and a band of wheezy dissonance to stir the citizens of the royal borough, they marched, hobbled, hooted from the Town Hall and old library to the site of the new £500,000 library, still an outline affair of scaffolding.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/RTV/1959/02/05/BGY503110109/?s=kensington town hall
Maybe plod would like to take an interest in the planning department officers & councillors' financial affairs. Since the conservatives are cutting police and their budget ideal time to start investigating the Tories.
Thanks God for the likes of David Davis.
Leader of the Council Plain-Beige is very much like his fellow cohorts does nothing and promotes the interests of non-residents and businesses that are virtually wiping out our village communities.
Shame on him! To the barricades!