Drapers Field – planning application received!

Drapers Field - leased to the ODA for 16 Months

A planning application has finally been lodged with the Council for the temporary use of Drapers Field as a service centre/store for the Olympic Village.

The application number is: 2011/0623, and comments can be made online at the Waltham Forest website, or by post to the Planning Officers at the Town Hall.

Local residents have been very concerned about what the Labour Council has in mind for the reinstatement of this historic playing field when it is returned in 2013.

Kinnear Landscape Architects were commissioned to develop improvements, and their plans will be subject to a public consultation event to be held at Drapers Field on Tuesday 14 June, between 3 and 7 pm. Council officers and the design team will be present.

Don’t miss this opportunity of seeing what the Council has in mind, and making your views known.

If you cannot attend this event you can see the proposals at Leyton Library from Friday 17 June until Monday 27 June. 

Proposals for Marsh Lane will also be on display.

A representative of Kinnear Landscape Architects will be present at the following times:

Drapers Field – 4-6pm on Thursday 23 June

Marsh Lane – 4-6pm on Wednesday 22 June

THE LORD CLYDE PUB – PLANNING APPLICATION

Liberal Democrat Councillor Bob Sullivan reports:

It looks like another pub will be closed down in our area. A planning application has been received by the Council to turn The Lord Clyde Pub in Capworth Street into flats. There will be a ground and first floor extension and construction of second floor with mansard roof.

The plans are to convert the Public House into 9 self-contained flats (4×1 bed, 5×2 bed) a bin and cycle store will be at the rear. No parking provision – I notice!!                                                      

The plight of our Public Houses is dire. Many have closed and many are looking to develop into accommodation. We have lost many local pubs. The list is long – The Hollybush, Wakefield Arms, The Four Finches, Oliver Twist, Lion and Keys, The Three Blackbirds, Beaumont Arms and the Bakers Arms. These are all in a stones throw of each other. Have I missed some off?

I noticed that the Coach and Horse in Leyton High Road is asking for community involvement to manage the pub. I am not sure what that means but will try and find out.

EMD Planning Application Refused

Liberal Democrat councillor Mahmood Hussain on Wednnesday 18 May told Waltham Forest’s Planning Committee that the council should refuse the planning application submitted by UKCG to turn the EMD Cinema into a religious assembly hall.

Councillor Hussain, who represents High Street ward which includes the EMD Cinema site, said:

“The key questions can be summarised very simply. Does the proposed development respect the building’s heritage and listed building status? Is the impact on the area and particularly on nearby residents acceptable? Does the proposed development contribute satisfactorily to the regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre? On all three counts I believe the answer is no.

“This view is shared by an enormous number of local residents. Our borough has hundreds of places of worship of all types and sizes. But it does not have a single cinema. We have clear evidence that the building is potentially viable as a cinema, arts and entertainment venue.

“This would bring new life to the area and stimulate the local economy – unlike the proposal before you. The proposed changes to the building would destroy much of what is special about this unique building, which is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved cinema buildings in the country.

“Residents would suffer from the absence of a proper noise management scheme and from parking problems generated by cars descending on the area from miles away.

“For the sake of Walthamstow please listen to local people, weigh up the planning merits of the case and refuse the application.”

Speaking after the decision to refuse the planning application Councillor Hussain said he was delighted that the Planning Committee had listened to the arguments put forward by objectors.

“This is good and important news for Walthamstow Town Centre but it is only one step forward. Following two planning refusals and endless discussion I hope UKCG will now abandon their plan. We must allow those who are able to bring the cinema back into use the chance to realise the cinema’s true potential.”

Parking nightmare for Waltham Forest residents

Liberal Democrat Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan reports that parking in Leyton has reached a point where residents’ are continually unable to park in their road or in some cases near their road.

Meanwhile the Labour Council continues to agree plans for multi flats that have little or no parking facilities and seem reluctant to consult with residents about a residents’ parking scheme.

Supposedly the Council has a policy of encouraging family housing, but the Council seems obsessed in agreeing to developers building more and more flats – what hypocrisy!

Residents of Leyton and Waltham Forest do not want more flats – they need family housing with adequate parking included in developments.

It is about time the Council listened to them!

The Plaza/Church Lane – revised plans

The above link shows the revised proposals

Following concerns raised by Leytonstone FOCUS Team member John Howard and London Buses the Council has revised their proposals.

THE PLAZA – The road layout has reverted the existing design. It was agreed that the proposals did not allow sufficient space, and access to the public car park and the LT vehicle entrance has been reinstated.

CHURCH LANE – Church Lane now divides into two spurs. One terminates at the emergency barrier while the other leads directly into the car park.

Planning News – Vacant plot next to Primark in Leytonstone

A planning application has been lodged with the Council for the vacant plot in High Road Leytonstone, next to Primark.

Application Number: 2011/0148

Address: 654-656 High Road Leytonstone

Proposal: construction of a four storey building with mansard roof, comprising two retail units at ground floor level with basement level and four self contained flats on upper floors ( 3 x 1 bed, 1 x 2 bed)

Any comments should be made either by the Council’s website or by mail to The Planning Officer at Waltham Forest Town Hall.

Do we really need 7 betting offices at Bakers Arms?

The Council has recently received a planning application for a betting office at 857 Leyton High Road (formally part of Woolworths).

If this is granted there would be at least seven betting offices around the Bakers Arms area. Residents were angry that a betting office was recently allowed on the Bakers Arms pub site.

Under new regulations, councillors are now allowed to make objections to planning applications. So Liberal Democrat Councillor Bob Sullivan has made an official objection to this new betting office application.

His objections are:-

  • There are already too many betting offices in the area. Leyton is not an affluent area and betting offices are there to make money.
  • Gambling can be an addiction and more betting offices can only encourage this. This could increase crime in the area, as those who lose out may resort to crime to feed their addiction.
  • Children and vulnerable adults will also be affected if one or both parents use family funds to pay for betting, so depriving them of a proper income from which to live.

Bob will keep you informed of the outcome.

Drapers Field update

All-weather pitch scheduled to be ripped out and area covered with hard standingA planning application was anticipated to be presented to the Council’s Planning Committee in January, regarding the Labour Cabinet’s desire to lease Drapers Field to the Olympic Delivery Authority for a period of 16 months.

During this time the all-weather pitch and the grass football pitches would be ripped out, hard standing installed to allow Drapers Field to be used as a storage centre and laundry for the Olympic Village.

So far, there is no sign of this application!

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan has raised this question at the Town Hall, as the Lib Dems are anxious that residents’ views should not be ignored.

We will let you know about any developments.

Leytonstone High Road traffic scheme

The Plaza showing area between the sculpture and the flowerbed where it was planned the road should run

Liberal Democrat campaigner John Howard raised concerns about the plans compiled by the Council to ‘improve’ Leytonstone High Road, and the environs of Leytonstone Underground Station in advance of the Olympic Games.

At the time he was advised that London Buses had also raised similar points. A site meeting was said to be taking place early in the New Year, after which revisions would be made.

He has contacted the Council to ascertain what progress may have been made. Watch the website for further news.

Plans for 590-594 High Road Leyton – REFUSED

Artist impression looking towards Bakers Arms

The plans to convert the corner of Leyton High Road and Hainault Road into flats etc. has been refused by the Council’s Planning Department. The planners say that the developments design, height and bulk would constitute and over- development of the site, out of character with the street scene and townscape, and would thus be detrimental to the visual amenities of the area.

Of course the developers could appeal or produce another plan more in keeping with the area. We will keep you informed of any further developements.