This is a work in progress. The points below are not meant to be a definitive list. They do not all necessarily represent majority opinion. They are points that have been raised by residents in various discussions.
1. Encroachment on open space. The proposed buidlings + plus incidental space would encroach significantly on open space contrary to the letter and spirit of the London Plan and the Hounslow UDP. We have produced a paper on this. You can also see images of the current and proposed open spaces.
2. Some buildings too high. Some of the buildings are too high for the area. There are no five storey buildings in the area. Only one along Thornbury Road rises to four storeys and that is set well back and is behind trees. The houses opposite are two storeys. To keep some balance the buildings along the frontage should not rise above three stories. Those behind should not go above four storeys.
3. Problems with blocks C and D. Blocks C and D are too large (height and massing) and would be intrusive. Furthermore, by their height and mass they would detract from Campion House. The Inspector, in rejecting the previous application, said in his report "At 4 to 5 storeys high above basement level, this would be unlike anything in the surrounding area. I consider that the building would not relate well to the scale, height, nature, massing and character of its surroundings."
4. Problems with block A. Block A was a block for 6 flats on the 2nd application. Most of us found it just about the only acceptable feature of that application. Now it has grown to 9 flats. It is too bulky. It has moved much closer to No.114. It should be moved away and should be reduced back to 6 flats.
5. Design issues with blocks C and D. The design of blocks C and D would present a view of standardised off-the-shelf architecture which would clash unpleasantly with the individual character of the housing in the area which the Inspector described as a particularly sensitive part of the Spring Grove Conservation Area.
6. J Blocks too close to the Gymkhana astroturf. The J blocks are still too close to the Indian Gymkhan Club and this proximity to the floodlit astroturf would be a source of friction between residents and the club. The club is long established (it has been there for over 80 years). We do not want the development to be a source of tension within the local community.
7. The proposed density is too high. The density of the development is still in marked constrast to that of the surroundings. The density the opposing stretch of Thornbury Road is about 30 dwellings per hectare (dph). The indicative range for a development on this site is 40 to 80 dph. Planning guidelines encourage an increase in density wherever possible but also point out that this must respect that of the the surrounding housing. The proposed development would have a density of 76 dph (developer's calculation). An increase in density could be achieved while remaining at the lower end of the indicative range. This would meet both planning objectives and meet residents' concerns.
8. The indicative density range used in the submission is incorrect. The indicative density range for the site is determined by the density matrix of the London Plan. There are three factors involved in determining the indicative density range for any site: (1) Setting (suburban, urban, central); (2) Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL); (3) Average number of habitable rooms per dwelling unit (hr/u). For Campion the setting is suburban and the PTAL is 2 (low). That leaves habitable rooms per unit. The Linden Homes Planning statement says that this is in the range 3.1-3.7. If this were so then the indicative density range for the site would be 40-80 dwellings per hectare (dph). Unfortunately for Linden Homes the habitable rooms per unit is far higher. The details are technical and but the habitable rooms per hectare is clearly in excess of 3.8 hr/u which means the indicative density range for this site should be 35-65 dph. For a detailed examination of the number of rooms per unit see our analysis.
More to come. Watch this space!
Note updated 30th April 2008