London's population is forecast to grow by a million in the next 16 years (BBC radio 4 Today, yesterday). Seems to me it's Conservative Wandsworth Council's vision and central Government's shared ambition to cram them all in Wandsworth.
I have to say I'm sorely disappointed that neighbours of Springfield and residents of Wandsworth don't 'apparently' have enough voice to sway them to think again!
I think most of us agree that Springfield hospital requires an input of cash to renovate and repair, the most obvious way is via development however the objections were predominantly about the AMOUNT of development, lack of planning with regard to local amenities, transport, parking, schooling and healthcare AND the loss of our fast disappearing green space and sports facilities.
I'm hanging onto the hope in Sadiq's letter to residents:
"This isn’t the end – the hospital now needs to do detailed planning work to bring this development to fruition, and I believe there will be opportunities for engagement and negotiation at this stage to ensure that the worst aspects of these plans are dealt with as far as possible."
Our comments and opinion still may be heard and I think we should still voice it!
So much for "power to the people". Am I wrong, or did we overwhelmingly tell the Council that we (the residents surrounding Springfield Hospital) didn't want the expansion?
Sarah, I don't think it's got anything to do with it being a Conservative Council. I'm mostly happy with the way the borough is run. Planning seems to be the issue in our borough though (thanks to Streetlife or I would not have known). However, if this was Lambeth, Springfield would have been expanded years ago, no public consultation, money "disappeared" and the place a total eyesore.
Sadiq Khan's email (which I'll copy below) asks for people to get in touch with him to let him know your views on this decision... it's a good place to start!
Sadiq Khan (sadiqkhan@sadiqkhan.org.uk)
Dear friend,
Springfield Development update
This morning I received confirmation from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP that Springfield Hospital’s planning application to re-develop the site will be permitted.
This was the final point (bar a challenge in the High Court) where residents would be able to easily lobby against these plans – and I am extremely disappointed that the result has gone this way. The government preaches localism, and putting planning powers back in the hands of local residents, but has ignored the views of thousands of people living around the hospital who opposed this planning application.
In this decision the Secretary of State addressed the objections about loss of Metropolitan Open Land, loss of the golf course, impact on the transport and neighbouring residential roads, stating that “He considers that the adverse effects of the proposed scheme, including harm to the MOL, loss of the golf course and concerns about congestion, should be weighed against the cumulative benefits (also taking account of the impact of the Northern Line upgrade in helping to reduce road congestion).
You can read the full decision document, and the planning report, on my website here.
This isn’t the end – the hospital now needs to do detailed planning work to bring this development to fruition, and I believe there will be opportunities for engagement and negotiation at this stage to ensure that the worst aspects of these plans are dealt with as far as possible.
Throughout this campaign the overwhelming majority of local residents have always accepted that there is a need for the hospital to be regenerated, and have never been against development in principle – they were simply against the overdevelopment of the site. I will continue to work to support local residents in this matter, and to bring about a development that is good for all of the community, as far as this is now possible.
I will be meeting soon with the Chair of the Trust and the new Chief Executive to discuss their plans, and what they can do to rebuild relations with the local community.
Please do get in touch with me to let me know your views on this decision.
According to Patricia Poulter (resident in Wandsworth for 30 years) it is too late to stop the expansion. The Planning Inspectorate approved WBC's planning documents in February this year. This is a 10 year plan. It is made up of the Development Management Plans Documents (DMPD) and the Site Specific Allocations Documents (SSAD) which sets out every area across Wandsworth which the Council believes is suitable for high density development including high rise development of 15 storeys in Putney High Street, Upper Richmond Road, Wandsworth Old Town and all the rest...
It was argued by the Council that these plans were "consulted" on for some 3 years (supposedly) and when the Inspector asked WBC about representation on behalf of the residents, WBC stated that local Councillors were involved in the process.
The original Site Specific Allocation Documents advocated heights of up to 15 and 12 storeys for a number of sites in Putney. Then in 2010 the local Conservative Councillors and the Putney Town Centre Partnership Board escorted commercial developers and those with commercial interests around the re-development of Putney with this document in hand, indicating Putney's potential for developers.
This document has evolved and the heights no longer appear however this started the frenzied flow of applications for high rises in Putney. See today's 15 storey 'Airwick Building' application for Putney High Street.
Councillor Govindia (Council Leader) was asked earlier this week at a "Lets Talk" meeting with residents why Putney appeared to be taking such a disproportionate amount of high rise developments. He answered:
I am dreading the start of this project. The noise and congestion as lorries etc try and enter the site will be awful. Will def. write to Sadiq and encourage everyone who feels concerned to do so as well. I agree that it is not necessarily the outcome of having a Conservative Council.
Is a new school still part of the plan? Given that the Council has grossly underestimated the number of children in the area who will need to be educated (and ages ago sold off one of the schools in Earlsfield for flats), this would certainly seem an attraction. Earlsfield School has practically been forced to take a bulge class (when space is already tight) as there is gross shortage of primary places this year. Indeed many of the other nearby schools now have additional classes.
I cannot see how the transport system in Tooting can sustain this development. I often walk to St Georges hospital from Tooting Bec because the road is so busy, no joke when you are 79 years old but a lot quicker than waiting for a bus
In answer to Sarah R, Wandsworth BC did not approve the plan. The decision reported is that of an appeal to the Secrtetary of State (central Government) against the refusal of planning consent by the local Council.
Other correspondents also seem not to be clear about this. The Council may be to blame for other unpopular planning decisions but in this case they did not approve the Springfield Plan.
Here's the report. The Borough Planner did recommend acceptance so it could be seen as a triumph for local democracy overturned by centralist planning inspectors.
Thank you for the report Roger. I was at the PAC hearing for this application.
With the triumvirate of the Leader of WBC Ravi Govindia at Town Hall, Eddie Lister (former leader of Wandsworth Council) Deputy Mayor responsible for London's Planning at the GLA and Eric Pickles, Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government I see nothing but a demonstration of how recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework - the presumption in favour of sustainable development if it can be proved to be of economic benefit alone - will facilitate ever greater, out-of-scale, out-of-keeping developments in our borough. I doubt that Ravi Govindia is "sharing the pain" of those living around Springfield Hospital and it is to Labour's MP Sadiq Khan that residents are now turning.
I'm running a local petition which I think is more important in light of the decision that the development will go ahead.
The petition asks the council to conduct a trial to try to reduce the volume of non-residential traffic that passes through the Fishponds Rd / Broadwater Rd area. The idea that I'm proposing is that the council could use flower planters to re-configure the street layout for the trial. In essence the planters would act as attractive road blocks which if the officers go with the layout I've proposed would add a few hundred metres to local residents journeys. I think the minor inconvenience to local residents will be seen as a major inconvenience to those who have no business passing through our residential streets.
If it works, we'll experience the benefits from shortly after it is installed. Quieter streets, safer streets, and fewer pot holes. If it doesn't work, then we won't have dug up the roads to try a solution to the problem of excessive traffic volumes on roads which aren't designed for the current level of traffic.
I've got in excess of 240 signatures to date. If you would like to add your name to the list, please print off the attached petition form, sign it and drop it through my door. I'll be handing it in to local councillors at the end of next week.
Comments
I think most of us agree that Springfield hospital requires an input of cash to renovate and repair, the most obvious way is via development however the objections were predominantly about the AMOUNT of development, lack of planning with regard to local amenities, transport, parking, schooling and healthcare AND the loss of our fast disappearing green space and sports facilities.
I'm hanging onto the hope in Sadiq's letter to residents:
"This isn’t the end – the hospital now needs to do detailed planning work to bring this development to fruition, and I believe there will be opportunities for engagement and negotiation at this stage to ensure that the worst aspects of these plans are dealt with as far as possible."
Our comments and opinion still may be heard and I think we should still voice it!
Sarah, I don't think it's got anything to do with it being a Conservative Council. I'm mostly happy with the way the borough is run. Planning seems to be the issue in our borough though (thanks to Streetlife or I would not have known). However, if this was Lambeth, Springfield would have been expanded years ago, no public consultation, money "disappeared" and the place a total eyesore.
What do we do next to stop the expansion?
Sadiq Khan (sadiqkhan@sadiqkhan.org.uk)
Dear friend,
Springfield Development update
This morning I received confirmation from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP that Springfield Hospital’s planning application to re-develop the site will be permitted.
This was the final point (bar a challenge in the High Court) where residents would be able to easily lobby against these plans – and I am extremely disappointed that the result has gone this way. The government preaches localism, and putting planning powers back in the hands of local residents, but has ignored the views of thousands of people living around the hospital who opposed this planning application.
In this decision the Secretary of State addressed the objections about loss of Metropolitan Open Land, loss of the golf course, impact on the transport and neighbouring residential roads, stating that “He considers that the adverse effects of the proposed scheme, including harm to the MOL, loss of the golf course and concerns about congestion, should be weighed against the cumulative benefits (also taking account of the impact of the Northern Line upgrade in helping to reduce road congestion).
You can read the full decision document, and the planning report, on my website here.
This isn’t the end – the hospital now needs to do detailed planning work to bring this development to fruition, and I believe there will be opportunities for engagement and negotiation at this stage to ensure that the worst aspects of these plans are dealt with as far as possible.
Throughout this campaign the overwhelming majority of local residents have always accepted that there is a need for the hospital to be regenerated, and have never been against development in principle – they were simply against the overdevelopment of the site. I will continue to work to support local residents in this matter, and to bring about a development that is good for all of the community, as far as this is now possible.
I will be meeting soon with the Chair of the Trust and the new Chief Executive to discuss their plans, and what they can do to rebuild relations with the local community.
Please do get in touch with me to let me know your views on this decision.
I will of course keep you updated.
Yours sincerely,
Sadiq Khan MP
AND I also suggest that anyone interested also registers with the Neighbours of Springfield site http://www.neighboursofspringfield.co.uk/
According to Patricia Poulter (resident in Wandsworth for 30 years) it is too late to stop the expansion. The Planning Inspectorate approved WBC's planning documents in February this year. This is a 10 year plan. It is made up of the Development Management Plans Documents (DMPD) and the Site Specific Allocations Documents (SSAD) which sets out every area across Wandsworth which the Council believes is suitable for high density development including high rise development of 15 storeys in Putney High Street, Upper Richmond Road, Wandsworth Old Town and all the rest...
It was argued by the Council that these plans were "consulted" on for some 3 years (supposedly) and when the Inspector asked WBC about representation on behalf of the residents, WBC stated that local Councillors were involved in the process.
The original Site Specific Allocation Documents advocated heights of up to 15 and 12 storeys for a number of sites in Putney. Then in 2010 the local Conservative Councillors and the Putney Town Centre Partnership Board escorted commercial developers and those with commercial interests around the re-development of Putney with this document in hand, indicating Putney's potential for developers.
This document has evolved and the heights no longer appear however this started the frenzied flow of applications for high rises in Putney. See today's 15 storey 'Airwick Building' application for Putney High Street.
http://www.PutneySW15.com/default.asp?section=info&page=planningblades002.htm
Councillor Govindia (Council Leader) was asked earlier this week at a "Lets Talk" meeting with residents why Putney appeared to be taking such a disproportionate amount of high rise developments. He answered:
"We all have to share the pain".
Is a new school still part of the plan? Given that the Council has grossly underestimated the number of children in the area who will need to be educated (and ages ago sold off one of the schools in Earlsfield for flats), this would certainly seem an attraction. Earlsfield School has practically been forced to take a bulge class (when space is already tight) as there is gross shortage of primary places this year. Indeed many of the other nearby schools now have additional classes.
Other correspondents also seem not to be clear about this. The Council may be to blame for other unpopular planning decisions but in this case they did not approve the Springfield Plan.
http://ww3.wandsworth.gov.uk/moderngov/documents/s12597/Paper%2010-961%20Springfield%20Hospital.pdf
With the triumvirate of the Leader of WBC Ravi Govindia at Town Hall, Eddie Lister (former leader of Wandsworth Council) Deputy Mayor responsible for London's Planning at the GLA and Eric Pickles, Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government I see nothing but a demonstration of how recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework - the presumption in favour of sustainable development if it can be proved to be of economic benefit alone - will facilitate ever greater, out-of-scale, out-of-keeping developments in our borough. I doubt that Ravi Govindia is "sharing the pain" of those living around Springfield Hospital and it is to Labour's MP Sadiq Khan that residents are now turning.
The petition asks the council to conduct a trial to try to reduce the volume of non-residential traffic that passes through the Fishponds Rd / Broadwater Rd area. The idea that I'm proposing is that the council could use flower planters to re-configure the street layout for the trial. In essence the planters would act as attractive road blocks which if the officers go with the layout I've proposed would add a few hundred metres to local residents journeys. I think the minor inconvenience to local residents will be seen as a major inconvenience to those who have no business passing through our residential streets.
If it works, we'll experience the benefits from shortly after it is installed. Quieter streets, safer streets, and fewer pot holes. If it doesn't work, then we won't have dug up the roads to try a solution to the problem of excessive traffic volumes on roads which aren't designed for the current level of traffic.
I've got in excess of 240 signatures to date. If you would like to add your name to the list, please print off the attached petition form, sign it and drop it through my door. I'll be handing it in to local councillors at the end of next week.
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