23 Saltcroft Close.
Wembley
HA9 9JJ
Objection to Planning Application H/01054/13 West Hendon
Estate – demolition and redevelopment of the West Hendon Estate.
My status: Brent
resident, school governor and provider of environmental education to primary pupils
through the voluntary organisation Brent School Without Walls: http://www.brentschoolwithoutwalls.btck.co.uk/
Reasons for Objection
1.
Protection of Site of Special Scientific Interest, wildfowl
reserve and Metropolitan Open Land. Brent and
Barnet LAs have been successful in cooperating on the protection of this SSSI
in line with government policy but in my view the development would have a
detrimental impact. The density of the new development, the height of the
buildings and their closeness to the shoreline would impact on the bird life in
terms of roosting, feeding, nesting and breeding. The height of the buildings
would interfere with the flight patterns of birds and present a danger to them.
In addition the proposed footbridges, especially the one at the northern end of
the reservoir which crosses wet woodlands would disturb wildlife, including
bats, as would the additional light pollution from the estate. The proposed
removal of some mature trees would have a further detrimental impact and the
siting of the tower blocks closer to the bank will reduce the green belt buffer
between the buildings and the reservoir. The picture below shows in the
background the density of trees on the reservoir bank at present. The
mitigating measures proposed by the developers are at best cosmetic compared
with what currently exists.
2. Protection
of Landscape
The photograph below shows the view from the west
bank of the Welsh Harp across to the proposed development site. The block on
the left is 8 storeys high plus penthouse.
The proposed blocks close to the shoreline will be three times as high
obliterating the landscape in contravention of the London Plan 7.7de which
states that tall buildings should not
‘impact on local or strategic views adversely’.
As
7.7e of the London Plan states ‘the impact of tall buildings proposed in
sensitive locations should be given particular consideration’. The new
development which sites the private tower blocks close to the shore to take
advantage of the view and the higher sale prices this will achieve, will loom
over the reservoir and be completely out of keeping with the semi-rural
landscape. I submit that if Barnet Council gives this aspect ‘particular
consideration’ it will deny this application.
3. Air
quality
As
someone who is a school governor as well as provider of environmental education
I am very much aware of the impact of deteriorating air quality on children and
the increased incidence of asthma. The
density of the proposed development, the building of social housing close to
the A5 and the anticipated increase in traffic all point to an increase in
Nitrogen Oxides in the atmosphere in an area already designated as an Air
Quality Management Area.
4. Quality
of life of children on the West Hendon Estate
Whilst
recognising the poor and deteriorating quality of some of the blocks of social
housing on the West Hendon Estate and the need for refurbishment or rebuild,
the development proposals would affect other aspects of children’s lives on the
estate. Apart from the increased air pollution noted above children will be
deprived of the existing open space through the increased density of housing.
The views that the children and their parents currently enjoy across the
reservoir will be obscured by the new luxury tower blocks and lower rise
private flats as well as the placement of the social housing closer to the A5
and away from the reservoir. In my view this amounts to the privatisation of
landscape.
The
photograph below shows the open space currently enjoyed by residents on the
estate.
5. Conclusion
As
presently presented this Planning Application is unacceptable.
Please send an acknowledgement
that this submission has been received.
Martin Francis, B.Ed (Hons) M.A.
May 14th 2013
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