Planning Commitee Meeting review
Monday, November 16th, 2009I had the privilege, on Thursday 12th November, to voice at the Regulatory Services Committee Meeting the real concerns of the people of Harold Wood as regards Countryside’s proposals for the Hospital site. I have to admit having only 2 minutes to present the case against was a real challenge. Fortunately Diane Smith and I had liaised prior to the meeting and had agreed our individual areas of focus. Diane was keen to home in on concerns re Education, Health, Leisure and Infrastructure. My focus was the more technical issues - density of housing units per hectare; the poor quality of amenity space - raised decking, communal decking, shared hard space, SMALL gardens - all of which fails to meet Supplementary Planning Guidance; the seeming willingness to impose URBAN features on Harold Wood; the idea that you can create ” a community within a community ” without proper regard to social and community cohesion is particularly worrying.
I was at pains to point out to the Councillors that in their much heralded “Living Ambition - A Vision for Havering in the next 20 years” they had stressed the importance of engaging people in the decisions that affect them. This would, I suggested, mean they should be LISTENING to the 1800 people who had written to the Planning Department opposing these plans. Bearing in mind the Leader of the Council had only recently stated ” Houses are BEST for Havering” the plan to have a 70 to 30 split flats to Houses on the site was in conflict not only with the Leader’s statement but also key elements of Living Ambition.
We are all aware that outline planning permission for 423 housing units was granted in 2006 but the density was 49.4 housing units per hectare as opposed to 69 in the current proposals. At the eastern end of the development, close to the station and Gubbins Lane the density would be 95 housing units per hectare. I suggested there was a major discrepancy here! The $64,000 question was whether the Councillors themselves would want to live on such an estate? In conclusion I urged them to have the courage to go against the recommendation of the Planning Team. The unanimous decision to defer was a good result for the people of Harold Wood. We can now organise ourselves for the next stage of the campaign. The support of local residents outside the Town Hall and in the Council Chamber was greatly appreciated. Nigel Broom