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85-87 Churchfield Road 51 Grove Road development

Hi All. This development PP/2014/5754 to increase this block from 10 flats and one house to 12 flats and 1 house, including an increase to four floors and a four storey rear extension, on the corner of Grove Road and Churchfield Road is in progress having been approved on the 10/02/15. Whilst there are details of a consultation on the planning portal, my neighbours and myself in Grove Place were not notified. The residents of Grove Place and Grove Road are really adversely affected by these plans and are reeling as we were unaware so did not even have a chance to object. Did anyone else locally object to this development or follow its progress? Does anyone have any advise about what to do now - so far I am still awaiting a call back from the council planning dept since weds despite my call being logged, and referred to the management. Any advice welcome. many thanks

Luciana Chamberlain ● 4191d6 Comments

I apologise for the typos above. I carefully corrected the draft but this tablet jumps again just as I press send.

Maire Lowe ● 4189d

My suggestion would be to set up an Acton wide protest group that people are prepared to throw some money at.  Part of the problem is that there are pockets of objectors for different areas of Acton, but the voices aren't being heard. Something collective needs to be done - the Oaks was the closest example but even then most of the objections came from Poet's Corner. Take the King's Arms on the Vale - it's a beautiful old building set to be demolished and yet no-one seems to give a monkeys.  I've only lived in Acton for 3 years but in only that time I've witnessed planning getting completely out of control and local people powerless to do anything about it. In years to come, this decade will be remembered for councils ruining London with inappropriate over-development.

Jack Cloake ● 4189d

What seriously troubles me is their is no overall plan. A bit of garden grabbing here, tear down a seventies estate there. Allow a certain Developer, notorious for shoddy work, to have several goes at a Horn Lane development site without additional costs. No forward planning for infrastructure. We all remember the Oaks Planning Committee meeting where the Transport officer brought the wrong slides, but Councillors voted it through anyway. The senior officers for housing and planning didn't even show up. The Chair contested himself with pushing the gallery. Most residents were deliberately not allowed in to the meeting. It is an easy task to fix up overflow space in the hall next door and Harvard's at least. The Labour leader makes dire predictions for the health of the Borough if changes to the NHS go through, but challenged to show us a demographic forecast he stops talking. We need to challenge all development until the Council can show us how they plan to meet their housing targets and what infrastructure will be needed. It isn't rocket science and it isn't party political. We all live here. We should participate in the overall planning and we should expect plain speaking. We aren't getting it.

Maire Lowe ● 4189d

Having been a resident in Ealing/Acton for almost 50 years my advice is not what you want to hear but move away before it gets worse.You think this is bad now its not going to improve the council appear to ONLY be concerned with approving more homes in the borough I have seen so much building work going on in the last 5 years especially its changed the nature of Acton forever.Its only a matter of time before more of these mini blocks of flats appear.Unless you can afford to hire decent legal representation its pointless trying to fight this just sell up & cut your losses councils are looking to increase population its their best option of revenue via council tax now their funding has been cut savagely by westminster.Within 10 years I expect most of the commercial property industrial estates in Acton Vale, South & North Acton to be turned into unaffordable homes.That's so obviously coming sooner or later as the land is currently worth way more as residential than commercial.It's not even really the council's fault they are just going with the flow.

Peter M Jones ● 4189d

There should have been a proper consultation at least among the neighbours to the building. There seems not to have been anything at all.Is that legal?I don't think it can have gone to a planning meeting - it was so quick I think it must have been delegated. But the criteria for doing that seem very unclear.

Sara Nathan ● 4190d

Have you spoken to any of your Councillors? I posted recently about my concerns that the Council seems not too concerned about informing residents. I am unsure of the rules and I think they have changed. Why don't you speak to the Councillors for the Ward and I will talk to the Planning lead.

Maire Lowe ● 4191d