Parking Review - apologies

We were all sent the wrong details to link to the Councils parking review - please see below for corre

As part of the Parking Policy Review (PPR), and as agreed at Cabinet on 7^th December 2011, a public engagement exercise will take place for a period of four weeks starting from today, to gauge opinion on issues relating to the size, days and hours of control of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), as well as on the maximum stay in pay and display bays.  I would welcome your views on this issue and ask that you send your comments to parking.review@camden.gov.uk

The results of the consultation will inform where changes may be required to CPZ days and hours of control to respond to changing parking demands and lead to the development of a work programme of CPZ reviews.  A report outlining the consultation responses will be considered later in the year, outlining any options for change.  It is also proposed that this will be considered by the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee. 
This questionnaire is being undertaken as part of the wider Parking Policy Review (PPR).  Some changes have already been implemented and details about these can be found on the PPR web page at Parking Policy Review.

The questionnaire will be available for anyone to respond to, but direct notification will be sent to the groups below:

- Residents’ and Tenant’s Associations;

- Businesses (through business forums and monthly e-newsletter)

- minority groups such as those representing the disabled and elderly;

- individuals who have previously requested changes to CPZ hours.

The questionnaire is available on the Council’s web site for public consultation on the following link: https://consultations.wearecamden.org/culture-environment/test-fl/consult_view

                                  

Hard copies of all documents can also be obtained by emailing parking.review@camden.gov.uk (although please consider whether you really need a hard copy as we wish to keep printed material to a minimum).  The public consultation ends midnight on Monday 18 June 2012.

If you have any questions about the consultation or would like further information, please contact:

Email: parking.review@camden.gov.uk
Phone: 020 7974 4639

Parking Review

We have been "trailing" this parking review for ages - ever since it was promised before Xmas! At last we have received this message from the Cabinet member for Sustainability:

Dear colleagues

As part of the Parking Policy Review (PPR), and as agreed at Cabinet on 7^th December 2011, a public engagement exercise will take place for a period of four weeks starting from today, to gauge opinion on issues relating to the size, days and hours of control of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), as well as on the maximum stay in pay and display bays.  I would welcome your views on this issue and ask that you send your comments to parking.review@camden.gov.uk

The results of the consultation will inform where changes may be required to CPZ days and hours of control to respond to changing parking demands and lead to the development of a work programme of CPZ reviews.  A report outlining the consultation responses will be considered later in the year, outlining any options for change.  It is also proposed that this will be considered by the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee. 

This questionnaire is being undertaken as part of the wider Parking Policy Review (PPR).  Some changes have already been implemented and details about these can be found on the PPR web page at www.camden.gov.uk/parkingreview.  

The questionnaire will be available for anyone to respond to, but direct notification will be sent to the groups below:

- Residents’ and Tenant’s Associations;

- Businesses (through business forums and monthly e-newsletter)

- minority groups such as those representing the disabled and elderly;

- individuals who have previously requested changes to CPZ hours.

The questionnaire is available on the Council’s web site for public consultation on the following link: http://www.wearecamden.org/

                                  

Hard copies of all documents can also be obtained by emailing parking.review@camden.gov.uk (although please consider whether you really need a hard copy as we wish to keep printed material to a minimum).  The public consultation ends midnight on Monday 18 June 2012.

If you have any questions about the consultation or would like further information, please contact:

Email: parking.review@camden.gov.uk
Phone: 020 7974 4639

Local Victory

Local residents around Gondar Gardens with local councillors Nancy, Flick and Russell are here celebrating after the latest scheme for
development on the reservoir was emphatically turned down by Camden's Planning Committee last week.

But although we've won this particular fight - the war's not over yet! The developers may well appeal against this decision and are already in the process of the appeal against the refusal of the previous scheme. 

(This appeal against refusal of the first scheme (destroying all of the reservoir space, replacing it with luxury houses in the ‘pit’ accessed via a car lift) will be heard on 22/23/24th May from 10.00am at Hughes Parry Hall, 19-26 Cartwright Street, London WC1H 9EF. 

This was the "newsflash" from GARA - the residents association last week:

Great news.  Last night, 10^th May, Camden councillors refused planning permission for this scheme.

Many thanks to everyone who came along to support; to our local councillors for a spirited defence of the open space; and to everyone who worked so hard to achieve this result.  And, of course, to the councillors on the committee who voted to refuse planning permission.

This won’t be the end of the matter.  We are certain that the developer will appeal against this decision, as well as proceeding with the appeal against refusal of the first scheme (see below).

Help needed urgently

The appeal against refusal of the first scheme (destroying all of the reservoir space, replacing it with luxury houses in the ‘pit’ accessed via a car lift) will be heard on 22/23/24th May at Camden Town Hall in Judd Street. 

Urgent request – are you a solicitor or similar?

Can you instruct a barrister on behalf of GARA for the appeal hearing? 

We have getting advice from an ‘open access’ barrister but he is a very expensive QC.  A junior in the same chambers is available for the appeal at a much lower cost.  But we need a solicitor (or possibly an architect or planning consultant or similar) to instruct her.  GARA will cover all the costs; we just need help making this happen.  If you can help, please respond urgently to infogara@googlemail.com or txt David Yass on 07730814061.

We have very little time to instruct and brief a barrister – please respond urgently.

We need your money!

The appeal is costly.  We have already spent money on a barrister, ecologist, transport and planning consultants.  We need a barrister and ecologist at the appeal hearing.  Your donations are most welcome, please.  The funds will go towards the upcoming appeal and also, of course, the next one following on from refusal of the second scheme. 

Every little helps, however large or small – it is your donations that will make all the difference. Your generosity in our last hour of need raised a similar amount to that needed now, with many of you giving around £100.  That money was well spent protecting the reservoir at the previous planning appeal, and we need to do the same again now. 

Please make cheques payable to ‘Gondar and Agamemnon Residents' Association’ and send to the GARA Treasurer, 12 Agamemnon Road NW6 1DY, or make your payments direct to GARA: sort code 20-74-63, a/c 80451223, with your details in the payment reference (e.g. “28GG Yass”). 

--
Yours,
David Yass
Chair, Gondar and Agamemnon Residents Association

www.gara-westhampstead.co.uk

Gondar Alert

I've just been told that the new Gondar Gardens reservoir application will be heard by the planning committee (more properly called Development Control) on 10th May. I've also been told that the report presented to committee will recommend approval of the scheme.
I'll put up a link here as soon as the report is made available.

2012 Olympics - a personal grumble

Whether we are excited by the Olympics or hate the whole thing - we have all - as Londoners- paid for a great deal of it! Parts of London should benefit greatly but up here in this quiet corner of Camden - we will possibly hardly notice it apart from the 24/7 media coverage unless, of course you want to travel in and around London during the period of the Games. Earlier on we thought the cycle road race might come through Hampstead and Whitestone Ponds was tidied up in account of it (and very nice it looks too!) But the route was changed and the nearest we get to an event will be the Archery competitions at Lords.
At one point the torch relay was rumoured to be passing through Kilburn on its way to Central London but they've changed that too! It is supposed to visit the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm Road where it will arrive by road for breakfast and then set off through Camden to Kings Cross - so if you want to see it or the handful of Camden torchbearers you'll have to head off to the east! Somehow I feel aggrieved that NW2/6 has been left out completely! Perhaps its selfish or silly but I would have liked a glimpse on home territory considering how much we've all paid for it!
Nevertheless - I'm still excited - so I'm going down to South London to see the torch relay as it goes past the end of my daughter's road!
Flick Rea

Spring 2012/2

Other news for West End Lane

The face lift to West Hampstead Library has now been completed and most people are very happy with it. But as its completion more or less coincided with the cut in our local opening hours, some have suggested the money could have been better spent on retaining our lost hours. The answer to this is that the exterior improvements were agreed and funded by the capital "spending pot" from the old Area Forum back in 2010 whereas opening hours are funded by the Council's revenue spending which is a completely separate lot of money. So its not that simple unfortunately. Its sad we've lost our hours and are now virtually back to where we were about ten years ago in the first round of library cuts.

In case you don't know what the new hours are -

• Monday 11am to 7pm
• Tuesday 11am to 6pm
• Wednesday 11am to 6pm
• Thursday 11am to 6pm
• Friday 11am to 5pm
• Saturday 11am to 5pm
• Closed on Sundays
and public holidays

So we've got an hour less in the mornings, some earlier closing, gained Wednesday and lost Sundays - so if you want the library on Sunday - you'll have to go to Swiss Cottage!

Meanwhile there are other changes to West End Lane - Walnut has closed which was sad as Aidan was a lively member of the local community - it is being replaced by a Sushi restaurant. The "Lion" closed for a makeover and it may revert to its old traditional name of "The Black Lion" which would be appreciated. Also a new butcher is due to open just opposite - something we have been missing in West End Lane for far too long. Its interesting that although some businesses don't stay long, there aren't too many empty shops at any one time. Lib Dem Councillor for West Hampstead, Gillian Risso-Gill has been very active in promoting a new Business Forum which has now officially set up and is already investigating parking problems and looking at the possibility of involvement in a new local market outside the Thameslink station. This would be a great opportunity for local businesses and crafts and build on the two popular and successful Christmas markets on West End Green.

Spring 2012/ 1

Its been a busy month or so since we last posted - things are happening rapidly in NW6 - so there's lots to report on. We're just about to publish a new Spotlight but because there are so many stories in it, some of them are a bit brief and we've had to leave lots out - so this is an update for all our readers.

Planning is always a local issue, though more in West Hampstead Ward not so much in Fortune Green at present:

* Mill Lane - the new block "Mill Apartments" is nearly finished with prices ranging from £383k t0 £1.4 million! We now wait to see if they hold to their promises about the nature site (to replace everything that was destroyed when the site was bought!)

* The Gondar Gardens reservoir site proposals rumble on - having appealed the previous refusal by the Council,(decision by Government Inspector pending) the developers also submitted a new plan which still didn't find favour locally - it encroaches on the open space and towers over the rear of the houses on Sarre Road. It was withdrawn for further consultation and will probably come up for decision in May.

* The new building for Emmanuel School is almost complete and will be taking in pupils from September - not everyone is happy with the colour of the bricks - rather like the still partly unoccupied Sager buildings on the Green

*The new block on Maygrove Road is complete but an application for its neighbour "Handrail House" was basically refused by Camden before it ever got to Committee decision. In a way its a shame as they had worked out a good deal for improvements to the Peace Park and Sidings Community Centre ( a new cafe for example) which may get lost with a new application.

From 1st April most developments over a certain size will have to pay a special levy to the Mayor which will go towards the mounting costs of CrossRail and therefore have less to spend on local improvements.

Meanwhile further down the road - the Council granted permission (in the teeth of opposition from local residents and councillors) for the giant new development opposite Blackburn Road.
This will bring hundreds of new residents to our area and many of us are worried there aren't enough doctors, school places and other services to cope with the increase in population. Some residents had been led to believe it could or would be refused by the Mayor (who had the final say) but, unfortunately it was rubber-stamped through down at City Hall!

The proposed development on the old Garden Centre in Iverson Road- also with much local opposition, has been withdrawn for further consideration by Camden planners who may change their minds on their initial recommendation to refuse - looks like a fight ahead!



The other pressing local issue is enforcement - I have at least three regular correspondents who are having problems with getting the Council to take action on unauthorised developments - the major hold-up seeming to be with the legal department - (as Shakespeare had it "the insolence of office and the law's delays") which drive us all to screaming frustration. The planning system is not set up to help objectors or affected residents - ever since 1944 it's been getting worse. All governments seem to operate on the principle of "all developers right and all objectors wrong!"