620 High Road Leytonstone – site of proposed betting office
The application for yet another Paddy Power betting shop in the Leytonstone Shopping Centre is due to be discussed by the Council’s Licensing Committee on 6th October.
Residents were amazed that the betting shop in Church Lane, which was refused by the Council was approved on appeal by the Secretary of State.
It is hoped that recent changes in legislation will enable more notice to be taken of local objections.
620 High Road Leytonstone – site of proposed Paddy Power Bookmakers
After the successful protests against the betting shop in Church Lane, the Liberal Democrats are concerned that yet another planning application has been lodged for a branch of Paddy Power in High Road Leytonstone. The Shopping Centre is already inundated with betting shops – surely there is no demand for another.
Paddy Power Bookmakers have lodged an application to open a branch at 620 High Road Leytonstone.
Residents can find details of the application from the Council website by quoting planning application 2014/0996, which covers change of use from category A1 (retail) to A2 (betting office). in the Planning Explorer.
Other application cover:
Comments on this application should be sent to:
Former Lion and Key public house
The Council’s planning officer has approved the change of use of Lion and Key House, in Leyton High Road, from a care home into a hotel.
Further details should be available on the Council’s website by quoting application number 2014/0380 in the Planning Explorer.
Former Police Station in High Road Leytonstone
At a recent meeting of the Planning Committee planning permission was refused for change of use from police station to school and nursery.
The reasons for refusal included an over-development of the site; increased traffic generation, congestion and increased demand for on street parking.
Full details can be found on the Council’s website, by quoting the application number in the Planning Explorer
The Council is proposing to designate part of Leyton Town Centre as a Conservation Area. The area stretches from Buckingham Road (Coronation Gardens) along the High Road as far as Leyton Underground Station
What is a Conservation Area?
It is an area of special architectural or historic interest. The special character can include buildings, parks and open spaces, trees and landscaping, paving and street furniture etc.
This part of Leyton is of particular historical interest and includes two grade 2 statutorily listed buildings (Leyton Library and the old Leyton Torn Hall), the locally listed building at 267 High Road (formerly Barclays Bank) and the Victorian Coronation Gardens.
Extra Planning Protection
Conservation area designation gives broad protection to an area, and all features within the area are recognised as part of its character. The Council, as the local planning authority, would have extra powers to control works to protect, or improve, the character or appearance of the area.
Exhibition at Leyton Library
There will be a public exhibition in the foyer of Leyton Library from 18 February until 18 March. Council officers will be present on the following days to answer any questions:
Tuesday 19 February – between 4 and 7pm
Wednesday 28 February – between 11am and 2pm
Comments
Any comments should be received by Friday 15 March, and should be sent to:
MAIL: Jacinta Fisher, Conservation Officer, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Room GO8, Sycamore House, Town Hall, Walthamstow, E17 4JF
E-MAIL: urbandesign@walthamforest.gov.uk
TELEPHONE: for any questions call Jacinta Fisher on 020 8496 6737
Waltham Forest Lib Dems warn Government that planning change ‘recipe for disaster’
Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats have criticised Government proposals to relax planning laws for a three-year period and labelled them a ‘recipe for disaster’. The Lib Dems successfully passed a motion at full council receiving cross-party support to oppose the changes proposed by the government.
The Government announced in the summer plans to kick start the building industry. A public consultation was launched to extend the exemption for planning permission for home extensions of up to 6 metres. Legislation currently allows for extensions up to 3 metres to avoid the planning process. If the proposals became law, owners of street properties could find their rear windows flanked by six-metre extensions on both sides, plunging them into darkness for most of the day.
Developers could be allowed to by-pass planning controls to fast-track commercial and housing applications. Business premises would be able to expand by 100sq metres and industrial units by 200sq metres. Offices would be permitted to convert to residential use all without planning permission, irrespective of the impact they would have on a neighbourhood.
Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats fear the plans will potentially block out light, split communities, damage conservation policies and do nothing to encourage economic growth locally that is not achieved already.
The Government’s proposals are currently out for consultation. Liberal Democrats at their annual conference also rejected the move overwhelmingly.
Liberal Democrat Planning Spokesperson, Councillor Liz Phillips, said:
“These proposals are a recipe for disaster. They have not been properly thought through. If this is allowed to happen it could set neighbour against neighbour and split communities in Waltham Forest for years to come.
“On top of the resentment and loss of quality of life, some people’s houses will also plummet in value if they’ve got no light or a noisy factory is within a few metres of their front door.
“There is no evidence that this will do anything to promote economic growth in Waltham Forest. The Government needs to ditch these divisive and unnecessary plans.”
LIB DEMS CALL FOR COUNCIL RETHINK OVER PARKING IN THE BOROUGH
With problems over the CPZ consultation and plans by Waltham Forest Council to sell off the Stanley Road Car Park in Bakers Arms shopping area, parking is fast becoming a big issue in the Borough.
Lib Dems are opposing plans by the council to sell off the car park at Bakers Arms. And have gone further by asking the council to extend free parking times over the Christmas period to help local businesses.
Cllr Mahmood Hussain, Lib Dem Environment spokesperson said:
“With Christmas coming up, now would be the perfect time to help local businesses by extending the 15 minutes free parking time up to 30 minutes for the remaining few weeks. This would help our local shops compete with supermarkets and the big shopping centres nearby.
“And selling off the Bakers’ Arms car park is clearly the wrong decision. The car park is badly signposted at the moment but if we could bring it back into proper use it could be a great asset for local businesses.
“Cabinet members need to rethink parking in the Borough and focus on how it can help local businesses.”
Chair of the Bakers’ Arms Business Forum, Suleman Ahmed said:
“We should be taking advantage of the resource that we have in this car park at Bakers’ Arms. If the car park was better managed and better signposted by the council then it would not need to be sold off.
“Extending free parking would also be a great boost to local businesses in the run up to the Christmas period.”
The Planning Committee has approved London Fire Brigade’s application to demolish and rebuild the old fire station in Leytonstone High Road.
The new building will provide room for modern fire fighting appliances and training facilities, plus a visiting space for the public.
The fire engines will be temporarily transferred to other stations, and the Brigade says that there would be no reduction in cover as a result.
Church Lane Car Park
Local residents have laumched a petition to save this public house being turned into more flats.
The Focus Team understands that the Birkbeck Tavern, in Langthorne Road, is on sale for £575,000 following the owners going into administration last June.
The Birkbeck Tavern has become more popular recently following its reinvention as a music venue. Opposition to the sell-off is growing with over 1400 signatures already on the petition.
The local residents have plans to showcase it as a community pub.
A public meeting is being held on Tuesday 25th September from at 8pm. This will be followed by a one day music festival, called Birk Fest, which i9s to take place on 28th October.
To view and sign the petition click below: