Template objection letter

Here is a Template objection letter please feel free to use this in full or amend as necessary. We need a minimum of 20 objection letters by Jan 30 to ensure that this goes to the planning committee.

We also have an online petition running where you can also express your objections. We will submit the list prior to the 30th

More detail

Update

After more investigation into the application it has become apparent that the additional level is not the only issue we need to fight.

For information, there are 2 new applications on this site.

The first application is unchanged from the previously approved permission in all aspects other than changes to the proposed level of affordable housing (0% proposed now) and S106 agreement (£3k per unit). This scheme is for 121 units.

The second application includes an additional single Storey to Blocks A, B, C and D that create 20 additional units. The scheme is therefore for 141 units. The applicant proposes 17% affordable housing for this application and £3k per unit in the S106 agreement.

The approved application proposed 35% affordable housing and £7296 per unit in S106 contribution.

Durkan claims that the changes have been made “to render the project economically viable under current market conditions …..

This i hope you will agree is disgusting, not only are they adding an additional level they are, if this is not approved, requesting that the level of affordable housing is reduced to zero. Seemingly giving the council the option of adding a storey and getting the affordable housing they were originally promised alternatively don’t add the layer and loose the affordable housing!!!

Further more they are not willing to meet the additional infrastructure costs that the council has requested in the s106 agreement. reducing this by 59%. Simply put they want to add more units and pay half as much for the privilege!!!

Please help us get this rejected by signing up to the online petition http://www.gopetition.com/online/33565.html and voice your disgust….

Round 4 has begun

Having thought that the matter was put to rest for a final time with the 12th hour withdrawl of their appeal to the secretary of state, Durkan Estates have come back for a 4th time with an application to amend their previously approved application. They have put in a planning application (PA/09/02543) to add an additional level to the current 4 storey building and taking the number of units up from 121 to 141.

For those of you that are not immediately familiar with the log drawn out battle we have been having with Durkan estates over the past 2 years I can quickly summerise

in 2008 Durkan submitted application for a 7 storey building on the site on the gunwharf industrial site

– At the time they got so much opposition from local residents they amended their application to 6 storeys and resubmitted
– This application was refused on the grounds of overdevelopmet, Density and poor design against the backdrop of the Victoria park conservation area. Committee Verdict

– Then they consulted and submitted a new application for 4 storeys (prior to this they entered into a much overdue consultation process with local residents under the guise of coming to a compromise) Compromise is very much the key word here. The plan that was submitted was far from ideal.
– This was granted

– Durkan then fresh from the approval confident in the knowledge that had planning permission granted  appealed against the refusal of the 6 storey application. This demonstrates the simple disregard they had for the consultation procedure and the council.
– However due to the backlash and so much opposition they withdrew their application

– Now they are applying to add an additional storey to the approved 4 storey development to take it up to 5 storeys and to the same number of units as the original 7 story development.

Visual impact

Before + After

Below is an impression of what the original development would look like in situe. See the submitted artists impressions in the original plan section.

Just imagine yourself stood at the bus stop looking up at this!!! No thank you

SIGN THE PETITION

We have set up an online petition for you to show your support for this cause. We will submit the petition as evidence of continued support for the original objections to the application.

We have chosen this specific online petition service for its credibility and privacy policy. Your details will not be used for unsolicited mail, and you can hide your details from public view.

We have done this online to also enable you to share the petition easily. Please send this on to whoever you thing appropriate, stick it on your facebook, twitter it or simply email. The more this can be amplified the stronger it will be.

Thank you for your support and hopefully together we can really show the power we collectively have

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/object-to-gunwharf-planning-appeal.html

Planning Committee verdict

Summary of application

Demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment to provide four buildings of between three and six storeys providing 252 sq m commercial floorspace (Use Classes A1,A3, B1 and D1) and 139 residential units plus car and cycle parking, public space and landscaped amenity space.

Reasons for refusal by the planning Committee

The proposed development, by virtue of it’s excessive height, use of unsympathetic materials and density, appears out of character with the surrounding area. It would appear overdominant, would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Victoria Park Conservation Area and would detract from the setting of the Grade II Star Listed Historic Victoria Park. The proposal is therefore contrary to saved policies DEV1,DEV2,DEV3 and DEV28 of the adopted Tower Hamlets Unitary Development Plan 1998; policies CP4, CP49, DEV1, DEV2, HSG1, CON2, and CON3 of the Council’s Interim Planning Guidance 2007; Core Strategy and Development Control; and policies 3A.3 and 4B.12 of the London Plan Consolidated with Alterations since 2004 (February 2008), which seek to ensure development is sensitive to the character of the area and the capabilities of the site.

Pretty Damning I hope you agree. Please feel free to copy and paste this into any correspondence

HERE WE GO AGAIN

So GunWharf is once again under threat from what appears to be a zealous and greedy developer and we need your help to stop this happening. Durkan estates, not satisfied with the recent approval of their planning application for a 4 story development on the gunwharf site (241 Old Ford Rd)View Larger Map

are now, appealing to the secretary of state, against the decision of Tower hamlets planning authority to refuse permission for their original 6 story plans.

This is very disturbing considering that all of the hard work and support that has built up against this application could potentially be undone by 1 individual.

We therefore need to amplify the very reasons why the decision of the Tower Hamlets planning authority should not be overturned and in doing so get increasing support against the appeal.

What now?

Check out the About us page to find out a bit of background to date.

View the original plan summary and objections page for details on the original submission

View the approved plans

See the next steps to take to help show your support

As well as links to find out more information