The Town Hall
Wandsworth High Street
London SW18 2PU / 1 Ernshaw Place
London SW15 2BT
4May 2013
Dear Sirs
RevisedPlanning Application 2013/0395
Olive Haines Lodge, Putney.
The Putney Society wishes to re-iterate its OBJECTION to this application as detailed in our letter dated the 16th March 2013, the detail of which is repeated below.
The amended application, whilst proposing a building slightly lower than the original application, still misrepresents the number of storeys and still does not respect the heights of other adjacent buildings.
Many of our original objections also remain unaddressed by this amended application.
We remain concerned at the prospect of collusion between WBC and the developer to ignore planning policies in order to overdevelop this site to the disadvantage of local residents and to maximise the financial return to WBC. There is a clear conflict of interest with WBC officers and members arbitrating on the validity of this excessive application where WBC have a direct financial interest in maximising their outcome.
Original objection letter of 16th March 2013:-
The Putney Society as the amenity society for Putney and Roehampton, representing some 1500 local residents, wishes to OBJECT to this application.
The Society, together with others, attended the developer’s pre-application public consultation and gave cautious support for the designs exhibited. The application as now submitted does not match the impressions that our members came away with from the consultation. We consider that the developer was economical with the truth at the consultation.
The Society was told that the proposed development would match the height of Woodlands Gate to the west at 5 storeys. The proposed building rises to 7 storeys and therefore does not “respect” the surrounding area, including the setting of the conservation area bounding the site on two sides to the east. The development is therefore too high and inappropriate for an area of predominately 3 and 5 storey buildings. The development would also not respect the building line in Oakhill Road and as a result creates a bulk and mass inappropriate for a residential development outside of the “town centre” boundary. The proposal therefore transgresses policies DMS1a, DMS 1b, DMS 1c, DMS 2b, DMS 4b subsections iv, v, vii, viii and ix.
The quantum of car parking spaces proposed in a site with such a high PTAL rating is inappropriate and transgresses policies DMT 1, DMS 1, DMH 4 and the London Mayor’s policies on these matters. It would also be inconsistent with car parking to flats ratios in other recent approved planning applications.
The proposed development would lead to the loss of significant mature trees further affecting the character of the area and transgressing policies DMO 5 and DMS 4b.
The Society objects to this proposal on the above grounds and requests that the application be refused. Further, the Society requests that the Borough Valuer’s interest in maximising the capital value achieved through the WBC sale of this site is not achieved through the disregard of recently set planning policies.
Mark Poulter
Deputy Buildings Panel Convenor
For and on behalf of the Putney Society.