Bollo Lane development could come up for discussion in April

Ealing Council has decided that the controversial planning application for the development at Colonial Drive, Bollo Lane, will come before a Public Planning Committee meeting, possibly next month.

A substantial number of objections to the plans has been received from the public , particularly from those worried about the effect on the nature reserve at Gunnersbury Triangle.

While the closing date for comments on the planning application by Blackstone to develop the site has now passed, additional comments can still be made. A petition drawn up by HOOT ( Hands Off Our Triangle) received over 500 signatures.

Following a meeting of the Southfield Forum, Liberal Democrat Councillor Harvey Rose said: “We will let local people know when we hear about the timing of the planning committee meeting. We understand that the earliest it could take place is in April.”

Local groups objecting to the proposals will have a chance to voice their objections and make their points at the meeting, and they will have about two weeks notice in advance, There are concerns related to the height of the residential units in the development, as well as the potential impact of such a development on the nature reserve at Gunnersbury Triangle. Concerns have also been raised about parking for the proposed development.

Blackstone has applied for planning permission to Ealing Council to develop its site on Colonial Drive, off Bollo Lane, for mixed use, both office and residential. The company also plans a footbridge to link this with Chiswick Park, which also borders part of the site.

The Gunnersbury Triangle is situated on former railway land which was saved from destruction in the 1980s by local campaigners. In 1987, Hounslow Council and the GLC designated it as a local nature reserve and councillors recently voted in favour of upgrading some of its facilities as part of almost £500,000 worth of funding set aside from Chiswick Business Park.

A spokesperson for Blackstone said recently :  "Our proposals would deliver much needed new homes for Ealing, business start-up space and a crèche on what is currently an underused and poorly designed industrial site.  In addition there would be a new pedestrian link to and from the northern end of Chiswick Park – a welcome new access point to this thriving business hub." 

"We have worked hard to prepare a high quality design for the Colonial Drive site that would be sensitive to and respect the local area and Gunnersbury Triangle nature reserve.  No part of the nature reserve would be lost and we have agreed with the London Wildlife Trust that no further entrances to the reserve would be created.  In addition particular care would be taken to strengthen the boundary between Colonial Drive and the nature reserve with additional landscaping and native planting, to enhance the vegetation buffer that already exists. 

"We submitted a planning application for the site to the London Borough of Ealing in January following consultation with local residents and community groups. As part of this we made a series of changes to the proposals including a reduction in the overall number of units from 138 to 124.  We have also increased from 3m to 7m the distance between the proposed building on the western side from the edge of the railway embankment and have increased the amount of green spaces around the site, all of which will be carefully landscaped to a high standard. We now look forward to our proposals being considered by the council."  

March 15, 2012