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Saturday 17 February 2018

WHEN IS A CARE HOME NOT A CARE HOME?


Site plan expanded over railway lines.

The developers are proposing the development of the site of Heythrop College as “care homes”.  The site currently contains the convent and Heythrop College’s student hall of residence which is classified as institutional residential within the social and community use, not housing. The Council’s Local Plan classifies these uses as low-value social and community uses which accords protection from high-value uses such as expensive housing. The site has limited access with only walking access from Kensington Square or the restricted vehicle access via South End, a narrow, cobbled street.

In summary the proposal:
  • would be one of the largest developments proposed in central Kensington in the last ten years – a complex of 150 exclusive retirement flats by a developer who specialises in “the most expensive retirement housing in the country” (The Times, 8 Dec 2017);
  • has been presented as a “care home”/ “extra care housing” for the over 55’s, consisting of 56 one-bedroom units and 94 two-bedroom units, ranging from 31 sqm to 174 sqm, with combined kitchen/dining/living space, separate bedrooms and bathrooms.   Additional facilities include swimming pool, gym, café, concierge and housekeeping services, security – standard for luxury housing.  These self-contained flats would start at £2 million for a one-bedroom flat rising to £9 million for a larger two-bedroom flat.  All are sold with 999-year leases with substantial service charges and care services charged separately;   
  • would involve the building of a raft over the Circle Line for a length of 125 metres to the west increasing the site by one third; and
  • would involve the longest access route ever to a major construction site through residential streets, from Kensington Road to a constrained access at South End.

We have strong reservations about the substance of the proposals, namely:
  • the change of use from social and community uses  to an exclusive, luxury retirement housing scheme;
  • the developer asserts that the proposal is for a “care home”, both for it to qualify as a social and community use rather than housing and so as to avoid providing any affordable housing;
  • there would be no affordable housing and limited other public benefits;
  • the scale of demolition, excavation and the construction of the raft over the railway line and the seven buildings plus two level basements would have a massive impact on all residents in the area.  It is estimated to be a 5-year project which we doubt is achievable due to the access constraints; 
  • the construction traffic management plan estimates constant flows of large vehicles travelling to and from Kensington Road via Victoria Road, St Alban’s Grove and the South End (over 600 metres) requiring parking suspensions along the route because the roads are narrow; and  
  • the increase in both construction time and construction traffic so that the site can be increased by 1/3 over the railway line.
Our conclusion is to oppose the applications, however a few of our members are supportive of the exclusive housing with age restrictions.

We ask that you to review the applications and come to your own opinion.  If you do have any questions or oppose our position, please email kensigntonsociety@outlook.com.  The RBKC website states “public consultation ends “ on the 21 January but objections will be accepted for several weeks following that date.

Yours sincerely,

The Kensington Society

26 comments:

  1. Mr Shameless Nameless17 February 2018 at 19:30

    This is another test for our planning Committee.....are they with us.....or against us?
    They did the right thing on Newcombe and this is an even clearer example of a developer lying through its yellowing teeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kensington Square residents need to take a leaf out of the Hillgate Residents book and organise themselves to get this rubbish thrown out. Just like Newcombe Tower.

      Delete
    2. This crowd needs to be monstered

      Delete
  2. The developer either thinks that he is dealing with Kindergarten planners who cannot see through the shallow deceptions (Gym, swimming pool and concierge for an old people's home??? £9 million flats for elderly folks to retire into?) And a nice scam to avoid social housing!! Or he is promising brown envelopes on an industrial scale to the planning folk in Hornton Street.

    Whichever way you look at it this monster has to be blown out of the water.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Opportunity for Cllr Campbell to issue a press release stating that Kensington does not welcome this kind of deception and proposed society destruction. Is dizzy up to it? Will her property developer friend Cllr Faulks let her do it?

      Delete
  3. Interesting the KS is treading carefully. "Some of our members support the proposal". What piffle. KS has lost the plot. They need to go all out to oppose this dishonest and anti social proposal.

    There will not be the backlash like the ill judged KS cosy up to the Newcombe House developers. Or their cosy up to the Royals over the Orangery expansion (double basement) to absorb staff displaced from the Palace by Will and his hangers on

    ReplyDelete
  4. This developer, and his architect, needs to be named and shamed

    ReplyDelete
  5. £9 million 2 bed care home? Says it all.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The developer urgently needs help from Cllr The Rock Fielding-Mellen and Socially Conscious Capital

    ReplyDelete
  7. This one is a stinker. Needs to be stopped before the brown envelopes get too plentiful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is the kind of consultancy advice dished out by Savills for an enormous fee. "The site is categorised as institutional residential. We will buy for you at a song. We know the planning department well. We can get approval for a high end buy to leave development. Promote as a care home development - avoids the expensive overhead of the ridiculous affordable homes idea as well"

      All the forces for good in the Royal Borough need to unite and see off this perfidious bunch of crooks.

      Delete
  8. Bruno de Florence18 February 2018 at 10:42

    Another one for the few, not the many!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is now up to the local residents and the KS to get together and mount a proper campaign, presenting united front, ensuring that they do not lose steam. Of course, helped by us lot.
    The whole scheme stinks, so make sure that it is not just a little irritating fart that will dissipate with time and these luxurious 'retirement' flats get built.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What has happened to all the lovely green outdoor space at Heythrop? The developers seem to want just tiny green spaces that receive almost no sunlight and which descend into mud swamps - as has happened at Rock F-M's development opposite Grenfell Tower at MoreWest (coincidentally the theft of social housing land belonging to Silchester Estate).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Financial Analyst18 February 2018 at 16:57

      Built luxury housing sells for £6000/sq ft. Green space is worthless. Figure it out.....

      Delete
  11. The Dames Investigator19 February 2018 at 06:40

    The project is being promoted by the shell company "Leonard Kensington Propco Ltd", incorporated 11 months ago. The Directors are Iain Corstorphine (who set up on his own as a consultant 3 yrs ago after working for the Bank of Scotland in property finance, distress and restructuring) and Nigel Barnett Harris, a self employed property consultant who operates behind colourfully named companies such as "Sexylicious Ltd", "Shoot From the Hip Ltd", and "Dreamstars Ltd". All registered at 6 Canfield Place NW6.

    It gets worse.

    Consultants to the project are Savills, who also made the submission to their close friends, the planners in Hornton Street. The Planning Statement is a master of the fop. The now obligatory GP surgery is included (the go to Trojan Horse, as we saw at Newcombe House) and a nurses training facility. Nice one. There is also an "Extra Care Operating Programme" for the infirm. Prepared by no other than Savills!!! I hope that the care plan for my elderly relatives is prepared by medical experts....

    Cleverly, Draycott Nursing Care is named as an operator and there is an organisation chart showing the names of their Director and Nursing Staff. Clever. We need to look at the contract to determine just how kosher it is. Lambs to the slaughter.

    The Architects are an American Firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox. Rated by Glassdoor as a not very good organisation to work for. They seem to have fairly limited experience in London (52 Lime Street and the Heron Tower).

    It is proving difficult to find out who the promoters are. But the Dame's team is digging.

    But so far the message is clear. Sup with this crowd at our peril. Why would the Royal Borough do business with "Shoot From The Hip" and "Sexylicious"? Supported by Savills.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I much my candy I wonder what sort of developer spiv is drawn towards "shoot from the hip" and "sexylicious behaviors.

      I have also put in a call to my old mates, the Ritblats.

      Delete
    2. Kensington Pensioner19 February 2018 at 08:18

      I would like my nurses to be trained in a proper place. Like a hospital. On the job training in Kensington Square sounds like Ukrainian Certificates issued for changing bed pans.

      Delete
  12. Hornton Street planners should note that occupants of £9 million two bed flats will not be using nurses trained in Kensington Square. And more to the point, buy to leave owners do not require medical assistance. Period.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This site should be earmarked for affordable housing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Mate The Builder19 February 2018 at 08:28

      Forget it. Not nearly enough profit in affordable housing for "Shoot From The Hip" and "Sexylicious". And certainly no small change available to stuff brown envelopes.

      Delete
  14. If one of the Directors came from the Bank of Scotland, that is bad news. They are not an ethical organisation.

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/exposing-rbs-scandal-like-victory-at-le-mans-f639rv0zb?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_103&utm_medium=email&utm_content=103&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_2943484_103

    ReplyDelete
  15. WONDER IF EX RBKC PLANNING DEPT.EMPLOYEE EDWARD GEORGE HAS HAD A HAND IN THIS FOR HIS NEW PAYMASTERS AT SAVILLS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Dames Investigator20 February 2018 at 06:19

      Here he is:
      https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-george-92636326/

      Ready mix concrete, Hornton Street Planner and then Savills. Prime facilitator of the whole Earls Court mess.....

      Delete
  16. My elderly friend who is a K&C resident has been looking for sheltered housing for years. She is over 80 years old. She has been on the Chartwell House's (Ladbroke Terrace) waiting list for years and never managed to see one flat! Snapped up by cash buyers before she can even see the flat. Please, K&C cllrs and planning, create sheltered housing for K&C residents at reasonable prices, so elderly can stay in the borough they know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Presumably this sad lady will not be able to afford a £9 million flat in Kensington Square

      Delete

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