The Qatari Royal Family having taken over Harrods must have been given the impression that the Planning Department of the Royal Borough would never interfere with their plans and let them do what they whatever they wished,with no effort to enforce planning regulations that apply to others, less royal, rich or powerful- such as local residents.
For that is the impression hundreds of angry residents have as they watch one encroachment after another despoil a quiet residential area in the heart of a Conservation Area. The sense of frustration is palpable as residents fire off fusillade after fusillade of complaining emails. To be fair Cllrs Marshall and Ritchie have done their best to support, but somehow perhaps Daniel Moylan is behind the reluctance to pursue Harrods as we all know he likes these quirky schemes that most other people detest?
Using the pretext of the Royal Wedding, the Qatari Royal family, anxious not to miss out on a quick buck, have applied to erect of a marquee structure in Hans Crescent to house a pavement cafe. The cafe will be in situ from now until the end of September 2011 and will cater for 46 inside covers and 20 outdoor covers. The cafe will be open between 10.00 and 22.00 hours Monday to Saturday and between 11.30 and 18.00 hours on Sundays.
This is an area already designated as a Dispersal Area and the Police have done an excellent job enforcing it. All their efforts will be wasted if this type of 'magnet' development is allowed.
Then to add insult to injury a local resident reported Harrods have built a replica Swiss Chalet in Hans Crescent slap bang in the middle of Hans Crescent- space where RBKC gave an undertaking to the residents that there would never be further encroachment.
The Swiss gentleman when asked why he was building a chalet in a conservation area said he had paid Harrods £500,000 to promote Switzerland and Harrods had assured him that they had permission to build.
Residents want to know how is it possible that permission to build a hut in a conservation area can be granted without any consultation and while there are ongoing protests at the application to operate a cafe.
Residents are awaiting a visit from the enforcement team.....
methinks that the Great Cheesecake Eater doth protest tooooo much.
ReplyDeleteStill as most of his income comes from the taxpayer better that lawyers did not get involved:after all it will be us poor sodding taxpayers who fund the main part of his income who will pick up the tab.
CLEARED BY CLLR MOYLAN'S LEGAL EAGLE
I have emailed RBKC twice since last Thursday to ask if Harrods had permission to build a Swiss Chalet but so far no response. Now instead of a Swiss Chalet we have billboards promoting cycling - what next in our Conservation Area, who is making these decisions and why are residents not informed?
ReplyDeleteGuy Paterson
Basil Mansions
Harrods is again hell bent on spoiling our neighbourhood with yet more applications to RBKC for Cafe(s) round the store. They are prepared to use all kinds of tricks such as the use of "The Royal Wedding", Swiss Cottage promotions, etc, etc. It seems HANS CRESCENT after its infamous paving has become theirs.
ReplyDeleteWHEN IS THIS GOING TO STOP AND WHEN IS RBKC and our Councillors put a stop to this nonesense???
You could always stand for election yourself or vote for a candidate other than the ones you currently have.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree and I have specifically not included the Cllr’s in this since in my opinion they are intellectual pygmies and sadly the (R)BKC may be elected as a conservative council but it’s run by very left wing thinking.
ReplyDeleteIt is embarrassingly inefficient without commercial reality or instinct, compounded by employees with ridiculous titles being driven in Bentley’s at our expense!
Frustratingly there is nothing that can be done!
PETER VOLLER
Full of Life (FoL) is a vital community branch of support for young people with disabilities and their families.
ReplyDeleteWithout Full of Life; the young people's lives would be less enriched.
There would be no opportunities to meet their friends, take part in outings to Thorpe Park, community farms, bowling, cinema, Westfield, local parks, gardening, football, be read too, visit the local cafe, to create paintings, drawings, browse youtube for fav songs the list goes.
No opportunity to develop their communication skills, social skills. All the young peoples lives would be dimmer without FoL.
Fol presents parents and carers respite time, that provides them space away from the hard work of caring for their children.
Kim Love