Hamilton Court Planning Application

Earlier this month local residents of Hamilton Court contacted us to discuss a planning application which had been submitted to build a new shop on the corner of Elgin Avenue and Lanark Road.

The application - which is the third submitted in the last few years - requests permission for a one-storey dwelling which would act as an extension for the existing parade underneath Hamilton Court (to offer an existing twenty square metres of space).

Local residents are strongly opposed to this application. We agree - any extension to Hamilton Court could:

• not be in keeping with the character and shape of the current property - the 'stick out like a sore thumb' syndrome;
• obsucre the sightlines for vehicles seeking to turn into or out of Lanark Road, and;
• reduce the security of Hamilton Court allowing people to get on the roof of the extnesion and into first floor windows.

As local Councillors, we have joined with over 50 local residents who have lodged objections. We have also requested that the application goes to open committee so that the arguments can be heard in public.

We will let you know of progress and the date for the committee hearing, once it is set.

Alastair

Falkirk House difficulties

We were alerted over the weekend to an incident in Falkirk House which has caused a number of problems to local residents.

A fire on the 10th floor on Friday evening was quickly contained and put out by firefighters. However, during the extinguishing process, a malfunction in the water system meant that water leaked into the lift and a number of properties near the top of the building, which knocked-out some of the electricity circuits in addition.

CityWest engineers were successful in returning the lift to service on the Saturday afternoon and have been working with local residents to minimise inconvenience.

Please get in touch if you live in Falkirk and would like to discuss. We'll be working keeping closely in touch with the Estate Office to work through any issues associated with the fire and its aftermath.

Alastair

Carlton Tavern: licensing application withdrawn

Good news for all residents of Carlton Vale.

The application by Carlton Tavern to open and sell alcohol until the early hours of the morning was withdrawn by Punch Taverns a few hours before it was due to be heard by Westminster's Licensing Committee. We wrote to all local residents encouraging them to let the Council know their views on the application and almost thirty local residents wrote in opposition.

Punch Taverns should be applauded for recognising that their application was inappropriate for the local area.

Lee

Thames: The slow wave goodbye

When Thames Water returned to Elgin Avenue earlier this Spring, as local Councillors we let out a collective groan at the prospect of further inconvenience to local residents and businesses. We also confess to being a trifle irritated - the information provided to us earlier in the year told us they were going back into Elgin Avenue, but not until a few months after when they eventually turned up. Not good form.

So, we're trying a new strategy with Thames. Instead of trying to understand opaque maps and diagrams that are provided (usually late), we have asked them directly what their plans are for every single road in Maida Vale. And we have good news!

The following roads have been completed - Lanark Road, Grantully Road, Morshead Road, Essendine Road, Widley Road, Wymering Road, Delaware Road, Lauderdale Road, Castellain Road, Shirland Road and Elgin Mews South. And the following roads are "not covered within current ... scope" - Andover Place, Carlton Vale, Kilburn Park Road, Oxford Road, Maple Mews and Elgin Mews North.

Which leaves just a few roads. For Elgin Avenue, all works should be completed by the end of July. For Randolph Avenue, further works should be done by mid-July 2008 (although this might also relate to the Little Venice side of the road). For Biddulph Road and Ashworth Road, the streets are complete but work still needs to be done on the connections to Elgin Avenue.

We have a few points to clarify with Thames but - finally - it looks as though Thames will soon leave our local area. It can't come a day too soon!

Lee

Forty Tree Green: Lighting Problems

A number of local residents on Randolph Gardens have reported issues with the lights on Forty Tree Green in recent months - with the lights remaining on throughout the day, despite having an automatic "off" switch when it is light.

We've been in touch with the Estate Office once again and have been assured that the fault has now been identified (an over-growing tree branch which is obscuring the monitoring photo cell). An order has been raised for the work to be done by CityWest.

Jan

Andover Place - planning appeal

Last year, we wrote about the planning application made by the Jewish Preparatory School (JPS) on Andover Place to increase its height from 2 to 4 storeys to include 8 new flats for school teachers (see here and here). Although the Council rejected the original application in June 2007, the JPS appealed (as is their right) in early January to the government's Planning Inspectorate to have the decision overturned and to allow them to begin to build.

We received the decision a few days ago and the Planning Inspectorate has decided that JPS should in fact be allowed to increase its height. As local Councillors, we are disappointed that the Planning Inspectorate has chosen to overrule the democratic decision of a local council.

Nonetheless, we have already spoken with Rabbi Levy with regards to the appeal and we hope to help in any way we can to support the fantastic work of the local school and to make sure that the forthcoming building work affects local residents in Kilburn High Road, Andover Place, Dibdin House and Torridon House as little as possible.

We now look forward to working with everyone involved.

Alastair

Carlton Dene footpath: Finishing Off

One of our major grips as local councillors is when utilities (hello Thames) dig up bits of Maida Vale and then disappear off somewhere else for weeks on end.

So, we weren't terribly impressed when the Council did the same. Although the adoption of the Carlton Dene footpath by the Council was most welcome - and has resulted in a really nice new surface - it wasn't acceptable to local residents that various bits of exposed piping could be seen all the way down the new path.

We've been in negotiations with the Council's Transportation department for the past few weeks and discovered the exposed piping is the result of the lighting - and can only be sorted once additional parts are delivered at the end of July. As a result, we've agreed that the pathway will be temporarily re-instated in the interim, until the parts are available. This should be done shortly.

Please let us know if you have any issue with any street in Maida Vale and, if we can, we shall sort it!

Jan

Carlton Vale: Licensing Date Set

The hearing date for the licensing application made by Carlton Tavern has now been set for 19th June at Council House, Marylebone Road.

All residents who have registered an interest (and we know of around 30 - thanks to everyone who responded to our letter) will be sent full details on the hearing and are welcome to attend and speak, if they so wish.

Lee

Kilburn Park Road resurfacing

More good news for residents of Kilburn Park Road.

Brent Council have finally resurfaced the roundabout between Carlton Vale and Kilburn Park Road after a number of years of lobbying from our part on Westminster's side. The surface of the roundabout had deteriorated very badly in recent years, with large potholes in parts. Having put up with such a poor surface for a long time, local residents will be very glad to see the change.

Lee