Goodbye Westbourne and AHMM

On Monday there was meeting with Taylor Wimpey and Greater London Demolition at the Golden Lane Estate Community Hall to discuss the demolition of Bernard Morgan House with local people. The meeting had been organised by Westbourne Communications two weeks beforehand. On Monday afternoon we called Westbourne to ask about the agenda and were told that they weren't working with Taylor Wimpey any more. Last Thursday evening they were told they were being removed from the project and had been replaced with Cascade Communications. You can read more about Cascade in ReclaimEC1

We were told that the demolition process would begin once planning permission was issued and would continue for 10 weeks. Local Councillor, Mark Bostock asked if Taylor Wimpey could show goodwill toward residents and agree not to work on Saturday mornings. This request was rejected by Taylor Wimpey. 

From the beginning Taylor Wimpey have insisted that they want to listen and work with the local community.  As we have discovered, this has been simply talk, a smoke-screen.  They have not listened to the local community throughout the process and this can be demonstrated with the grotesquely out of scale scheme.

The proposed scheme

The one area in which they could show some goodwill is with Saturday working.  We have talked to many of our neighbours and local residents and agreement is that Saturday working is not wanted.  Many of us are at home during the week and will have to endure 10 weeks of demolition noise and dust and then 2 years of construction noise and dust all week long, in some cases metres from our living room and bedroom windows.

Many young children and vulnerable people live in the area around the site. We need to have Saturdays free of noise and dust, one day a week's respite will not be enough and our physical and mental health will suffer. 

The only local park in the area is right opposite the site and is very busy on a Saturday morning. It’s just unfair for all the children who use the park to suffer the noise and dust while playing there. Especially as they’ve had to put up with it at school all week

The Golden Lane Campus is opposite the site

We also asked Richard Smith, Development Director, Taylor Wimpey Central London if the rumour that the architects AHMM had been taken off the project. He said that they had. That McAleer & Rushe, the construction firm TW are using, didn't want to work with AHMM.

McAleer & Rushe Facebook page. Both the 5 star reviews are from people who work for the company. 

We hope that the change of architect will not mean that the quality of materials will be reduced to the cheapest available as the City will not have the resources to monitor what is actually used, as opposed to approved, in the construction.  Some of the cladding used on Great Arthur House, had to be removed because it was flammable and not the approved material. Why this material was used by Keepmoat is still under investigation.

The strip of cladding down the centre had to be removed, on both sides and on each corner of the whole block.
 It was the only cladding used which was not sent from Germany

We are also waiting to hear whether there are toxic substances in the plastic scaffold sheeting that would be emitted if the sheeting were to burn or melt.  

Why was the Call-in request rejected?

The letter sent on behalf of the Secretary of State to Catherine Linford, the City of London Planning Case Officer, says;

'The Secretary of State has carefully considered this case against call-in policy, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement by Nick Boles on 26 October 2012. The policy makes it clear that the power to call in a case will only be used very selectively.

The Government is committed to give more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues, and believes planning decisions should be made at the local level wherever possible.

In deciding whether to call in this application, the Secretary of State has considered his policy on calling in planning applications. This policy gives examples of the types of issues which may lead him to conclude, in his opinion that the application should be called in. The Secretary of State has decided, having had regard to this policy, not to call in this application. He is content that it should be determined by the local planning authority.' 

You can read the Government's policy here: 'Written Ministerial Statement by Nick Boles on 26 October 2012’.

From reading the statement it's difficult to understand why the Secretary of State has made this decision. It says;

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Nick Boles): 

The Localism Act has put the power to plan back in the hands of communities, but with this power comes responsibility: a responsibility to meet their needs for development and growth, and to deal quickly and effectively with proposals that will deliver homes, jobs and facilities.

The 'power to plan' in this case has not been put  'back in the hands of communities' - unless that means the City's business community. The City does not work in the same way as all other local authorities. Almost all the City's community of some 7,000 residents live in just 4 wards -  most of whom live in Cripplegate's Barbican and Golden Lane estates. Residents have only 20 elected Councillors and the other 80 are elected by City businesses. Thus planning and other City decisions are dominated by businessmen like Chris Hayward, Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee.

Chris Hayward is Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee
He lives in Hertfordshire where he is a Conservative County Councillor

This decision was not decided by people who were democratically elected by local people to represent the community. One might consider this reason enough for a Call-in of the application. 

The Secretary of State will, in general, only consider the use of his call-in powers if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. Such cases may include, for example, those which in his opinion:

1. May conflict with national policies on important matters; 

The proposed building will cause damage to an exemplar Grade II listed social housing estate. You can read more about that here. Listed by Historic England in 2000, the estate's buildings are of national importance. 

. 

2. May have significant long-term impact on economic growth and meeting housing needs across a wider area than a single local authority; 

The development does not include any affordable housing. Land for housing is scarce in the City and there is no need for more luxury apartments. This will mean an unnecessary tower of exclusively private flats will overshadow the only public park in the area and the outdoor learning spaces in the local school. There is more about how this will effect the park here

3. Could have significant effects beyond their immediate locality;

The park and school are in Islington - both objected to the development. Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlet residents use the school and the park as well as many City residents. Most of the Committee members who voted to Approve never even visited the site. 

4. Give rise to substantial cross-boundary or national controversy;

The new block with overshadow an Islington Park

The park and school are in Islington. Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlet residents use the school and the park as well as City residents. 

5. Raise significant architectural and urban design issues; 

The proposed block with complete overshadow and overlook the listed
Bowater House, Golden Lane Estate

The proposed design is completely out of keeping with the scale and design of the area. This is poor town planning and poor design in an area world famous for its exemplary town planning and architectural design. 

The proposal looms over Bowater House and will engulf the Jewin Welsh Church, a non-designated heritage asset

Even the architects who designed the building seem to be ashamed of it, there is nothing at all on their website. AHMM website search for Bernard Morgan House. We've also heard a rumour that they've now been ditched by Taylor Wimpey. 

Ask any architect or architectural historian.  Taylor Wimpey's planned development is an insult to the memory of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. It will overshadow and overlook the listed Golden Lane Estate Maisonettes. These flats are small flats, carefully designed, with big windows, to be private and full of light. 

Bowater House balconies
The City Planners said that if the balconies were removed then Bowater House maisonettes would only suffer minor losses of sunlight. With the balconies there some flats will lose up to 70% of sunlight.

The other urban design issue is the overshadowing of local amenities and the proposed flats themselves will be unpleasant and dark.

The cavernous view from Cobalt House, which will lose all it's sunshine

6. May involve the interests of national security or of foreign Governments.

The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is SEVERE. This means an attack is highly likely. 

Police advice from the City of London Website page 'Counter Terrorism'

This brings us to an interesting and possibly the most relevant and overlooked argument. Bernard Morgan House housed police officers and paramedics, nurses and MI5 offices for nearly 60 years. It is more vital than ever to have police and nurses living within the City of London in case of terrorist attacks. The Police Section House was decommissioned before the threat levels were so high. Police were still living here when the block was sold off. This decision to sell was the wrong decision and needs to be reversed. The City could buy back the site and use it again for police and nurses. 

FaceBook Page from when BMH was a Police Section House

7. However, each case will continue to be considered on its individual merits.

Was this case really looked at on individual merits? As none of the above points were addressed one wonders whether it was looked at in any detail at all. 

This is a letter Dr Mark Campbell wrote to the City of London Planners on the historical importance of Bernard Morgan House

Bernard Morgan House before the scaffolding went up

       
Here is an article about the Secretary of State's decision in City Matters

Judicial Review may be our only option to stop this development, please donate here, on our Crowd Justice page

Many thanks

Secretary of State has refused to interfere with City's grant of Taylor Wimpey's planning permission

We have received an email from the Department for Communities and Local Government stating that the Secretary of State has decided not to appoint an independent Inspector to decide Taylor Wimpey's Planning Application to redevelop Bernard Morgan House.

Neither a builder nor a speller be!
Not a good example to the 500 plus children in the school opposite.

The email states "planning decisions should be made at a local level wherever possible" and it refers to Government policy which provides that the call in power is only used "very selectively", for example if planning issues "of more than local importance" are involved and which "may conflict with national policies on important matters"

The demolition scaffolding around Bernard Morgan House is nearly completed

This decision may come as a disappointment but not a surprise to many. This Government, like the City, does not seem to think that demolition of a heritage asset and damage to an exemplar Grade II listed social housing estate is important. Nor that blocking sunlight to community homes and local amenities is important. Nor that losing affordable accommodation for key workers, like police officers, is important. The policy to meet the need for "development and growth" appears all important, and this coincides with assuring huge profits for developers building exclusive private flats despite the damage to our local community. We have written about that damage here and here

We are now faced with trying to persuade the City to change the decision it made on 23 May to grant Taylor Wimpey planning permission and, if that fails, to mount a Court challenge to the planning permission within 6 weeks of it being issued. 

Your support and financial assistance to continue this challenge is now more important then ever.
Please donate to the Crowd Justice page and stop this sunlight stealing development. We have 5 days left to meet the £7000 target. 

Taylor Wimpey's planning permission suspended. SAVE GOLDEN LANE battles on

OPEN Golden Lane has been formed to help our local community fight environmental and social injustice. Because it is a company it has legal status, unlike a residents association or users' group, and so it can bring any necessary Court actions as well as protect individuals from personal liability. It acts as both a shield and a sword on behalf of its members. Local groups can apply to become members of OPEN Golden Lane      

There is only one week left to reach the £7,000 target needed to continue the fight against Taylor Wimpey's redevelopment of Bernard Morgan House. Please read our CrowdJustice fundraising website here and donate to help protect our community by stopping this monstrous, light stealing development of luxury apartments which will have no affordable housing.

Taylor Wimpey's proposed scheme

If the Taylor Wimpey scheme proceeds local homes in Golden Lane Estate, Barbican Estates and Viscount Street, as well as Prior Weston School, The Jewin Welsh Church and Fortune Street Park will be overshadowed and lose both day and sun light. The Park will lose its afternoon sunshine from September to March. At this time the Park is usually packed with children and parents leaving school at 3.30pm. If the sun is shining then they stay and play until it disappears behind Bernard Morgan House.

 

Sun setting behind Bernard Morgan House 4.30pm in October .
The proposed new block will be 10 storeys high and will block the sun at this time

The Secretary of State, in response to our community's request, has presently suspended Taylor Wimpey's planning permission while his Department considers whether to hold an Inquiry. You can read here the letter which our local community organisations wrote to the Secretary of State to request a Call-In of Taylor Wimpey's application. The request is that an independent  planning inspector, and not the City, must decide whether Taylor Wimpey should get planning permission. You can read a press report here.

Our local MPs Mark Field and Emily Thornberry, as well as the Twentieth Century Society, have also written letters to the Secretary of State to ask for a Call-in.

OPEN (Golden Lane)'s solicitors have also written to the Secretary of State listing the financial interests of some of the Planning Committee members. You can read a press report about that letter here. Some members of the Committee are, or were, employed by businesses for whom Taylor Wimpey is a major client.

The Secretary of States intervention is means demolition of Bernard Morgan House cannot presently go ahead.  Despite this the scaffold has continued to be erected.

If the Secretary of State decides to Call-in Taylor Wimpey's planning application we will need funds to pay for legal representation at a public Inquiry. But if his ruling allows the Planning Committee's decision to stand, then we will have only six weeks from the actual grant of planning permission to issue a legal claim requesting the Court's permission to proceed with a judicial review. Either way, we continue to need substantial funds for legal representation to ensure the best outcome for our community.  

Golden Lane Estate 

Thanks to generous donations so far we have now paid for some initial advice from a specialist sunlight/overshadowing consultant and we are commissioning a more detailed analysis. Our solicitors have also instructed Matthew Horton QC of 39 Essex Chambers to advise. He has now visited the Golden Lane Estate, walked around the area and viewed Bernard Morgan House, Fortune Street Park and Prior Weston School. 

Fortune Street Park - the green hub of our community

Matthew Horton QC expressed "great concern about the manner in which the decision to approve planning permission was taken and the quality of that decision.” We await his further advice. 

Prior Weston School will be overshadowed by Taylor Wimpey's planned scheme for 99 luxury flats which has no affordable housing

The Jewin Welsh Church will be engulfed and overshadowed  by Taylor Wimpey's planned scheme 

Many thanks to everyone who has supported our campaign and donated and shared the CrowdJustice link. The level of support shows how strongly people feel about this development and the terrible impact it will have on everyone in our community.

There have been many donations from people who have now moved away whose children went to Prior Weston and played in the park every day after school. We have been moved by these families’ generosity. It shows how much they valued their time in the park while their children were growing up. As one donor said: 

‘Our family have happy memories of over 15 years of afternoon gatherings, climbing, trees, fragrant blossom and lovely people. Long may those memories continue to be made by others.

Fortune Street Park and Bernard Morgan House 

Please donate to Crowd Justice Save Golden Lane and help save Bernard Morgan House from monstrous redevelopment. 

Help stop Taylor Wimpey's selfish, greedy overdevelopment which  will blight our community 

For more information about Bernard Morgan House and the proposed development please read this page Bernard Morgan House Background Information