Virtual Meeting To Decide Unpopular Cobbold Mews Plan

42 housing units to be built on site currently used as car park

CGI of scheme submitted by developer with their application

A plan for a mews style development on the border of Chiswick and Acton is to be considered by a virtual meeting of the Ealing planning committee this week.

42 flats and houses are proposed for the 0.51 hectare ex-railway site to the north of Greenend Road which is currently used as a car park. The application has proved controversial particular because many existing residents of the area were allocated a parking space at the site as part of their lease which will not be available to them during construction. There have been 278 comments on the plan which overwhelmingly are objections and most from either Greenend Road or the recently built flats along Warple Way.

The part 4 storey, part three story building will mainly comprise one and two bedroom flats. There will be two communal gardens, a children’s play area and 6 of the flats will have roof terraces.

There will be 135 parking spaces on the site when the development is completed, 103 related to the section 106 agreement with existing residents of the Old Factory Quarter. Some of the new spaces will be underground.

The site as it is currently

The site is next to storm tanks which are part of sewage works operated by Thames Water. The water company objected to the development saying that no odour survey was submitted with the application. Subsequently the applicant submitted a survey which concluded residents would not be affected by any significant odour and that, in any case, Thames Water was working to improve the situation. The report states that the odour sniff tests found that, at worst, the most intense food related odours were classified as Intensity Odour Strength 3, which is described as a distinct odour that is barely recognisable. It was recommended the development included highly fragranced climbing plants and fragranced plants in areas of landscaping.

Thames Water also pointed out that the applicant’s Planning Statement describes the proposed properties as having an ‘open visual outlook when their view will be across an operational sewage pumping station/storm tanks site, some of which are uncovered.

Chair of Southfield Park Triangle Residents’ Association, Don Tanswell, said he believed the council can't have read all the objections because they state there was none from his association even though it was visible on the council's sites.

He adds that there’s no photo of the site in the case officer report recommending approval so the councillors on the planning committee have no idea what the area is like and how the new buildings will impact local privacy in Greenend Road.

HE comments, "We simply aren’t being given a chance for the whole story to be assessed by the planning committee and the 40 homes backing onto this site will suffer noise and invasion of their privacy for the sake of 42 new flats being built next to a sewer."

Ealing’s planning officers are recommending that permission should be granted dismissing nearby residents’ concerns about loss of light or privacy. They say, “On balance it is considered unlikely that the development would result in an adverse impact on residential amenity to such an extent that warrant refusal". The planning reference is 193680FUL.

Some local residents’ groups believe that Ealing Council’s arrangements for the publicity of planning applications during the lockdown has been inadequate. The public notices for developments like this one are published in a newspaper which does not circulate in the area which is a requirement of the relevant legislation. The Council have refused to consider the publication of notices in sites like ActonW3.com and ChiswickW4.com even though the current guidance from the government is to increase the use of digital media to make residents aware of developments that may affect them. Ealing Council say that if they were to publish notices digitally they would do so on their own site.

May 17, 2020