Waltham Forest - Our Community

Thursday, 25 January 2024

Monday, 18 September 2023

Friends of Lloyd Park Ocktoberfest

The Local Plan has identified the Wilko store in Walthamstow High Street as a possible development site. Until the decision is finally made it is impossible to know what will happen, but if a developer buys the site the council will welcome them with open arms and this brief:

LOCAL PLAN

Local Plan Inquiry - Outcome Updates

Revised Plan

Changes made to plan after the Public Inquiry

Despite the Civic Society's best efforts at the recent Public Inquiry our objections were ignored and the Local Plan goes ahead with the higher housing target of

27,000 over the next 15 years!

This decision ensures higher and higher blocks all along the Lea Valley (Blackhorse Lane) and on the Whipps Cross Hospital site to say nothing of Spitalfields and Leyton Mills.

The council has very few options as the Government expects all its policies to be adehered to as the structure below shows, but it did not need to find land for 27,000 new flats when the Government target, as applied by the GLA to the Borough, was only 18,960

TALL BUILDINGS POLICY 15 Page 158

As defined by the council a tall building is one over 10 storeys (30m). But the revised plan indicates the following criteria will have to be applied to the Visual Impact a planning application for a tall building makes:

i. Impact on the existing character and townscape of their surroundings considered in long-range, mid-range and immediate views;

ii. Impact on the existing streetscape, including the provision of active frontages and sufficient, high quality public realm at ground level;

iii. Impact on the existing, and where relevant emerging, skyline;

iv. Contribution to existing and proposed spatial networks and hierarchies, wayfinding, and legibility;

v. Impact on heritage assets, their settings, and views to and from them including the background zones of views identified in the London View Management Framework (LVMF) (41) ; and

vi. Exemplar quality of architecture and design with careful attention paid to form and proportionality, materials, finishes, and details,

I doubt if this means much as their own Lea Bridge Station tower blocks fail these criteria as do the 18 storey blocks at Whipps Cross Hospital site and their plans for Leyton Mills and Spitalfields. The current application for the car park by Leytonstone station fails miserably, but the planners will not admit to it. These days it is all about moneyitisation of land owned by the council and developers. Not about creating pleasant places for residents to live in.

Uplands Business Park (Blackhorse Lane) redevelopment

Can the road network in Blackhorse Lane, let alone the North Circular manage all the traffic this proposal will generate over many years! Get your objections in NOW!!

Updated Plans

LBWF Planning Search for 222739

Applicant: (BNP Paribas Depository Services (Jersey) Limited and BNP Paribas Depository Services Limited as Trustees of the BlackRock UK Property Fund and NEAT Developments Limited)

RE-CONSULTATION - CHANGE TO DESCRIPTION OF DEVELOPMENT HYBRID PLANNING APPLICATION for the phased demolition of all existing buildings and structures (excluding Uplands House), site preparation works, and comprehensive industrial-led mixed-use redevelopment of parts of UPLANDS BUSINESS PARK AND FOREST TRADING ESTATE, BLACKHORSE LANE, WALTHAM FOREST, LONDON, comprising:

DETAILED planning application for the construction of two buildings (Blocks A1 and A2) comprising flexible industrial floorspace (Use Classes B2, B8, and E(g)(ii and iii)) and one mixed-use building (Block B) comprising residential dwellings (Use Class C3) and flexible industrial floorspace (Use Classes B2, B8, and E(g)(ii and iii)), as well as ancillary yard areas; car/cycle parking; amenity; plant; public, communal, and private realm; soft/hard landscaping; infrastructure, access, and highway works; and other associated works;

OUTLINE planning application (with all matters reserved) for the construction of up to eight development plots (with maximum building heights of up

(NOTE: Walthamstow Tower Centre tower is 137m and that is 34 storeys!)

up to 22.6 m A.O.D. (Plot C),

up to 145.0 m A.O.D. (Plots D and H), (2 well over 34 storeys.)

up to 110.2 m A.O.D (Plots E and J),

up to 72.4m A.O.D. (Plot F),

up to 51.0 m A.O.D. (Plot G), and

up to 40.5 m A.O.D. (Plot K))

comprising up to 167,398sqm (GEA) residential floorspace (Use Class C3), up to 15,006sqm (GEA) of flexible industrial floorspace (Use Classes B2, B8, and E(g)(ii and iii)), and up to 5,000 sqm (GEA) of Classes E and F and Sui Generis (Drinking Establishment/Bar) floorspace, as well as ancillary yard areas; car/cycle parking; amenity; plant; public, communal, and private realm; soft/hard landscaping; infrastructure, access, and highway works; and other associated works.