| Topic: | Comments submitted by Councillors Kate and Daniel Crawford | |
| Posted by: | Maire Lowe | |
| Date/Time: | 06/07/22 11:37:00 |
| Comment I write to object this proposals as a former councillor for the recently abolished Acton Central ward, where Friary Park was sited, and one of the councillors returned in the new North Acton ward. I believe this is another missed opportunity to deliver community-led regeneration as Catalyst and Mount Anvil have belligerently blazed ahead with their proposals to add extra height to the towers and provide housing for private sale - ignoring the legitimate concerns of Acton residents. I have been against the proposals to redevelop Friary Park since before I was selected as a Labour Party local election candidate in 2009. As someone who grew up in the immediate vicinity of the estate, this is not because I am against regenerate or do not recognise the need to regenerate the estate. It is precisely because the plans have always been so unimaginative and geared towards private profit rather than innovatively addressing the needs of the local community. It is glaringly obvious that these plans are an attempt to cram in more private housing onto a cramped footprint and in an area that cannot sustain it. There is not enough amenity space in North Acton already - which is why the newly-elected Labour administration has pledged to deliver additional green spaces - but the gall of the developer to try and grab Friar's Place Green for a second time is extraordinary. The Green is common open land and should not be up for discussion - its inclusion in these proposals merits their refusal on its own - and attempts to make it 'integral' to a development by constructing a new road are laughable. Catalyst and Mount Anvil should reflect on the fact that they should be providing additional amenity space for local residents rather than trying to colonise a cherished community asset. This is not the only sleight of hand attempted by the applicants. They try to suggest the impending arrival of Crossrail to the Elizabeth Line necessitates a change of approach, expecting the local community to have forgotten that Crossrail has been planned since 2006 and that the area is well-served for local transport links. This development, with excessive amounts of private housing will not only do nothing to deliver the genuinely affordable housing that Acton residents lead, but will only intensify the gridlock on Horn Lane. Many other elements of the documents and contentions within this application are either misleading or outright falsehoods, but to list them all would deny me the opportunity to draw attention to the other local issues worthy of mention. I am extremely concerned about the financial viability of the scheme. It is striking the Council's Cabinet member for finance has drawn attention to the greed of the developer and the underlying business case for this entire development is collapsing before our very eyes. Catalyst have failed to deliver on their word following the 2019 application that they would successfully decant the existing residents and offer them opportunities to return - many of my former constituents have been left to fend for themselves during the building phase of the previous development - and this doesn't breed much confidence. It is abundantly clear that then costs association with the construction of the new estate have skyrocketed and that is why these new homes, for private sale, are necessary. But Acton residents deserve better than having a visual monstrosity inflicted on them because of the incompetence of a developer. There are legitimate concerns about overlooking and noise nuisance from those residents of Emanuel Avenue, and I firmly believe that this development sets a bad precedent for Acton as we are about to reshape our communities through the Shaping Ealing process. In summary, this is a textbook case of overdevelopment by a developer and a planning agency who are not interested in Acton's future. The Planning Committee should throw it out. |