Residents'
letter opposing Pier House School
Alpha
Plus's Proposed
Pier House School back on the agenda as amended plans submitted
ATTENTION EVERYONE ! THIS IS A NEW APPLICATION
(Second) Planning application Pier House - 85 Strand on the Green
Planning reference 01076/J/P19 :
Address : Stefan Van Vuuren Case Officer (01076/J/P19)
Planning Department
London Borough of Hounslow
The Civic Centre
Lampton Road - Hounslow TW3 4DN
Email Stefan.van-vuuren@hounslow.gov.uk
Telephone: 0208 583 5187
Plans for inspection : building plans for the site and school travel
plan can be seen at Chiswick Library 09.30am - 5.30pm Monday - Saturday
Deadline
for representation to Hounslow Council Monday August 25
2003
New Application
Hounslow Council Planning Department are consulting on a second application
from Alpha Plus (Falcons Schools) for Change of Use for Pier House from
business to educational. The new application is essentially as before,
except that Alpha Plus has now produced a school travel plan to challenge
the congestion and environmental objections on which the previous refusal
was based only six weeks ago (see below).
Previous application
As you will know at a meeting held on 26/06/2003 the decision on the original
application was FULL PLANNING PERMISSION REFUSED. The conditions/reasons
given were as follows:
1. The proposed development would increase congestion and environmental
intrusion by traffic using adjoining and nearby highways contrary to Policy
T.2.3 of the Unitary Development Plan and Policy T.4.3 of the Unitary
Development Plan (Revised).
2. The proposed development would increase environmental intrusion by
traffic which would detract from the character of the Strand on the Conservation
Area contrary Policy ENV 1.2 of the Unitary Development Plan and ENV-
B 2.2 of the Unitary Development Plan (Revised).
3. The proposed brick wall and acoustic fence would visually dominate
adjoining gardens and would therefore be detrimental to the amenities
of residents contrary to Policy ENV 1.1 of the Unitary Development Plan
and Policy ENV- B 1.1 of the Unitary Development Plan (Revised).
Basis of local objections to the first application
A group of most affected residents identified the following major objections
to this application :
1. Road / public safety
Outstanding - review of safety Thames Road/Strand on the Green promised
in February 2002 by London Borough of Hounslow at the time of the proposed
extension of the 272 bus route from Grove Park to Kew Bridge and beyond
still not published
Outstanding - review of Junction of Strand on the Green /South Circular
at Kew Bridge scheduled for 2003-4 - awaited
Potential traffic gridlock and backup in Spring Grove with ambulances,
patient pickup and meals on wheels to Melody Court retirement home
Increased traffic will exacerbate the morning backup of traffic from
Thames Road / Strand on the Green to the junction and the narrow `priority'
channel under the railway bridge on Thames Road behind the City Barge
will have even longer queues in each direction
Road safety issues for children of this age crossing to and from Kew
Bridge station and bus stops : this means increased car drop-off and pick-up
(there has already been a fatality on this junction 18 months ago and
no changes have been instituted), and safety issues for senior citizens
living at The Maltings, Spring Grove.
2. Environmental issues
Considerably increased traffic movements through the conservation area
of Strand on the Green as demonstrated by Falcons School's own Transport
Assessment which accompanied the original planning application.
Coaches will be used to take the children to and from their sports activities
at Dukes Meadows these coaches will presumably enter and leave from
Kew Bridge end. It is unclear how they would get from Pier House to Dukes
Meadows given that a large coach presumably could not use the priority
system under the bridge at the City Barge: this was the argument used
against the extension of the 272 bus route.
There will also be smaller coaches picking up children who need to be
bussed to school. Obviously these coaches cannot turn around on Strand
on the Green: the only turning facilities would be using Spring Grove
or Waldeck Road, although the latter is not mentioned in the Assessment
document.
Car parking double parking and traffic gridlock as the parents of
+/- 420 children drop off and collect twice each day this creates safety
and pollution issues, and will create parking problems for local residents
as spaces in the Pier House car park will be reduced from 45 to 25 cars
to enable the remaining area to become a recreation zone.
Has any evaluation been done on the safety issues of sanitation and
sewage provision?
Litter and graffiti
3. Sustainability of Strand on the Green Conservation area
How many schools can be sustained within a few hundred yards: this area
already has Strand on the Green school with approx 350 pupils and staff,
with all of the above problems, apart from the fact they have their own
playground. The new proposal would effectively double the number of children
at exactly the same traffic `pinch times, which of course also coincide
with the rest of the commuter traffic hours.
Noise pollution issues for closest residents- almost 50% of the car
park will be childrens play area. This is still a small space so the
recreation breaks for 420 children will be staggered : ie a continuous
break period of playground noise.
Strand on the Green is the oldest Conservation Area within Hounslow
Borough and Councils are charged with protecting the atmosphere and sustainability
of designated Conservation Areas.
Please give this application your urgent attention and if you have views
please contact the Council by the deadline date of Monday 25 August 2003.
Dorothy Boland
Chris Smith
Simon Derry
Julia Philpott
August 16, 2003
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