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DAMESATHOME@GMAIL.COM
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Sunday 28 January 2018

"WE HEAR: BUT WE DON'T LISTEN"? A WARNING TO THIS COUNCIL

A BLOT BEARING DOWN ON US
The Dame can think of no other planning application attracting over 900 resident objections.
On Wednesday, the Planning Committee will decide whether to side with developers-or, as they should do, heed residents.
Next May, voters will have a chance to decide whether this Conservative council is sincere when it says it's turning over a new leaf and is now a 'listening and learning' council.
If residents are once again ignored there will be Payback Time come May.
This recent article LINK sums up the issues of luxury tower developments.
MONOLITHIC MONSTER

The Dame is hugely impressed by Hillgate Village Residents’ Association. 
They have raised funds and are putting considerable legal muscle into the defence of their low-rise village.  

Large numbers of supporters of the campaign are expected (and encouraged) to turn up at the planning meeting to quietly demonstrate that this overbearing and ugly tower is not wanted.
Please click HERE for more info on HVRA and the timing of the Planning Committee.

One campaigner knocked on the head those support letters suggesting the Tower was needed to provide a new surgery- saying not one letter supported the design and height of this monster.

Another resident wrote in objection stating....

  1. We need a new doctor’s surgery but that can be well provided for by Notting Hill Police Station
  2.  There is an acute need and widespread interest in the provision of proper Social housing, as well as housing for other long-term residents to live and work in the city
  3. Residents do not want to see another tower of empty luxury flats, sold off-plan abroad
  4. The proposed tower is deeply unpopular with residents for reasons of both height and design


The now doomed Notting Hill Police Station, which RBKC recently designated an Asset of Community Value, would make an excellent doctor’s surgery, with disabled parking. 
It would be wrong to permanently scar the cityscape simply to provide a new medical facility or to satisfy the hunger of developers. 
Much has changed since the earlier, but similar application for this site, which was rejected at planning committee by a narrow margin.  There is a widespread concern about fostering properly mixed communities.  The shadow of Grenfell looms over this decision and RBKC must be clear that it is their residents they have been elected to represent, not financiers and developers.
I urge planning committee members to do the right thing, however uncomfortable, and reject these outrageous and unsuitable proposals.  

Remember, it's residents, not the developers, who will be electing Councillors in May 2018.

12 comments:

  1. Weale is damned for that insensitive and stupid comment

    ReplyDelete
  2. Waste of money to build tower blocks for foreign money launderers and spivs now - they aren't selling any more owing to Brexit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nothing to do with Brexit: more to do with the treatment of HNW foreigners on tax, plus stamp duty

    ReplyDelete
  4. The doctor's surgery is a clever (very clever) PR stunt by the developers. In addition to the police station (a much more suitable space with disabled access and operating on one floor only instead of the two floors proposed in the Tower) everyone should note that the Council is the biggest land owner (and building owner) in the Borough. If it is motivated it can find space for a doctor's surgery pretty well anywhere. It did so recently when the Hillgate Village surgery was closed and space was found by the Council in its Library building in Hornton Street/Campden Hill. Cllr Tim Ahern was responsible for making
    this happen.

    The Campden Ward Councillors need to knock this PR stunt on the head and commit to find suitable space from the Council Estate. Cllr the Lady Faulks likes to describe herself as a property expert......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Mate The Builder28 January 2018 at 19:41

      Pull the other one, Mate

      Delete
  5. How about building a doctor's surgery in the place where RBKC wanted to move the Ladbroke Grove Library? Thankfully the selling off of the library building was shelved as a result of fierce campaigning by locals and in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy; the new space could now be used for the benefit of the community - a medical centre.

    This proposal looks like a finger up to the residents. Do RBKC realise just how unpopular they would be if they were to impose this outrageously tall and ugly building on us?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can RBKC get more unpopular?

      Delete
    2. The new library space is too far from Campden Ward, which is the place where the GP surgery is desperately needed. Even now, not everyone who lives in Campden can afford private medical care - even though the local councillors think they can!

      Delete
  6. Wake up, the Holland Park Surgery is in Campden Ward. It is a fantastic facility and of course NHS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pardon me for trying to help - I thought you Campden people needed another surgery. So glad to hear that you are already well-served, unlike other parts of the borough.

      Delete
  7. Conservatives are like leopards.

    ReplyDelete

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