Residents say new housing will have negative effect on Gunnersbury Triangle

Gunnersbury Triangle Nature reserve planned development

Dozens of objections have been made to Ealing council's Planning department in connection with the proposal to build flats and a visitor centre on a site by the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve in Chiswick.

The vast majority of the 69 comments currently listed on the Ealing website oppose the plan.

Acton Green Residents Association (AGRA) said there had been inadequate consultation. In particular pre-application public consultation had not been well advertised and inadequate information had been provided.

"The financing the London Wildlife Trust visitor centre was not adequately dealt with (if at all) and comments from those that were consulted about the height and scale of the residential element were met with a simple statement that it was needed to fund the visitor centre, unsupported by evidence.

"The proposed London Wildlife Trust visitor centre - is welcomed. It will provide much needed and valuable D1 space and enhance the nature reserve. It is believed that the intention was to use the site for this purpose from the beginning. A low level development including this Centre is to be welcomed and would provide an opportunity to significantly enhance the nature reserve ecologically and as an amenity as well as improving the corridor into the triangle for wildlife and light.

"The residential development will have a negative impact on the nature reserve. That is accepted in the supporting documentation and steps to mitigate this are proposed. However without the residential development it would be possible to for the site to produce a seriously high level of positive impact on the nature reserve accommodating the visitor centre and other valuable enhancements for both visitors and wildlife. This is important given the fact that recent development has enclosed the nature reserve and there is a danger of diminishing further its ecological value.

"The residential development will block the view of 2 Bollo Lane designed to complement the Grade II listed Chiswick Park tube station and will work to the detriment of the streetscape. It is an awkward design in a constrained site.

"This is a development by Hounslow Borough in Ealing Borough. In both Boroughs residential development is dense and open space and space for wildlife are vital and should be enhanced wherever possible. Here there is an opportunity to do so and for the two Councils to liaise to make funding available for the excellent visitor centre proposed and to enhance the value of that Centre as well as the nature reserve, keeping visitor pressure off the nature reserve, enhancing access, the streetview, maintaining and enhancing the wildlife corridor, valuable sunlight at the entrance to the reserve and the area around it.Permission for the proposed residential element of the development should therefore be refused."

Other comments said: "Chiswick has high enough residential density and this will destroy one of the too few green/unbuilt areas."

Another resident wrote: "I can not see how this development will enhance the nature reserve as it will necessitate the felling of mature trees.The height of the building will take away light from the surroundings which will also have a negative impact. and will also overshadow the Grade II listed Chiswick Park tube station. I believe the building of a new visitor center is a thinly veiled attempt to push through this development regardless of any negative environmental impact, very strange for a nature reserve!!!"

And another said: "This will completely ruin our local area, wildlife and biodiversity. This cannot go ahead- it sets a dangerous precedent for future development in the area."

However, there were some positive comments including this one:"This is a very welcome development to a site that, on its east side, is a mess at the moment. The development allows a fit for purpose HQ for the Wildlife centre - excellent. The development is in keeping with the area, and has no direct impact on neighbours - indeed it does not really have neighbours in close proximity.

"The development is small, places no strain on community facilities, is ideally located with respect to public transport. It is totally welcome."

You can read the full list of comments, for and against the proposal here.

The Green Party in Ealing is also against the plan and want the land to be given to the nature reserve. The Greens opposed previous developments around the site in which several large blocks of flats were built on the periphery of the nature reserve. They say that since the building of these flats on Bollo Lane the decrease in wildlife including bats, birdlife and insects has been noticeable to regular visitors.

The London Wildlife Trust’s (LWT) view is that the impact of building the flats next to the site will be negligible.

Jan Hewlett, chair of the Nature Reserve’s Steering Group said: ‘We’ve wanted a proper visitor centre for many years. The old hut in our entrance yard was given to us by a generous local business as a stop gap when we first got started, but that was over 30 years ago!
Ideally we might have liked a stand alone building, but we didn’t have sufficient funds or space in the yard. The current proposal provides a visitor centre across the whole of its ground floor, so there would be room for school groups and community activities, as well as practical things like decent loos and tool store. The residential element is an enabling development which makes all this possible. It should help the local community to gain greater enjoyment from our lovely nature reserve."

The developer of the five storey block containing nine flats is Hounslow Council through its Lampton property company and the build is to be located on a small area of brownfield land within and adjacent to the nature reserve. The education centre would be located on the ground floor of the building.ds it.”

Chief Executive of the LWT, Gordon Scorer, said,;"For 30 years, we have been looking to bring forward a new wildlife centre for Gunnersbury Triangle. With the support of the London Borough of Hounslow, Lampton360 and EcoWorld, we will finally realise this dream. It will be a fantastic community asset, particularly for local children and families who will be able to make the most of the rich diversity of nature in Gunnersbury Triangle."

The Trust says, "The new building will at its highest point be five storeys high, and located so that only a marginal part of the reserve will receive any additional shading in early summer mornings. We are confident that any impact on the wildlife or natural assets of the nature reserve will be negligible, and have advised on ensuring that the new development is as wildlife-friendly as possible. Green roofs and living walls are planned to be installed on the building."

Located just across the road from Chiswick Park Underground Station on Bollo Lane, Gunnersbury Triangle opened to the public in 1985, having been saved from development by local campaigners, supported by LWT and the former Greater London Council. It is now a statutory Local Nature Reserve. Owned by London Borough of Hounslow and managed by LWT, the reserve is cared for by a small onsite Trust staff team and a dedicated group of volunteers.

The planning application is currently with the local planning authority, London Borough of Ealing, for consideration and the deadline for comments is 6 November but it is thought that comments can still be accepted. If permission is granted, work is due to start in the first half of 2019.

Southfield Liberal Democrats delivered over a thousand letters to local residents to increase awareness of the plans. All the comments can be seen by looking on Ealing Council's website quoting the reference 184664FUL at the bottom of the page.

Councillor Andrew Steed said: "I share the concerns of residents about this latest development, which is why we have requested the application is decided by the Planning Committee where objectors can make their case. We will update residents further when we can."

November 21, 2018