Since this is cross border, we encourage everyone to object to both boroughs. You can use the same text and just copy and paste - these are the two links to use: Islington Planning Website and the City of London Planning website here.
GLERA commissioned Alec Forshaw (MRTPI, IHBC) to write an appraisal of the proposal. You can read this here
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| The proposed building |
There was a public meeting on Thursday 10 August to discuss the CoLPLAI planning application for the redevelopment of the old Richard Cloudesley School site.
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| The Richard Cloudesley School |
The meeting was well attended by about 60 local residents from the Golden Lane Estate and Islington.
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| View of the Conservation Area |
There is a strong heritage case: Golden Lane Estate is a Grade II and Grade II* listed estate and this proposal would cause substantial harm to its setting. This is incredibly important and carries a lot of weight.
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| Basterfield House, The Golden Lane Estate |
The proposal is to build a 14 storey tower right up against the boundary of a grade II/grade 2* listed building; if this was a Georgian or Victorian Square this would not be being considered. In addition the site borders a conservation area.
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| St Luke's Conservation Area |
We also need to test the ‘public benefit argument’ by questioning and challenging the quality of the design of the tower and the school.
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| View looking down Golden Lane |
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| The Proposed block and school |
Is there a need for another primary school in the area? Morelands Primary School is only half a mile up the road and is undersubscribed.
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| Moorland's School has a half empty brand new building, only half a mile away. |
Morelands has a brand new two form entry building but is only being used as a one form entry school.
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| Moreland Primary School has only 230 pupils but has the capacity for twice as many. |
Objections are strongest if they refer to policies in Local Plans. Here are links to all the relevant planning policies.
National Planning Policy Framework March 2012
The London Plan 2016
London Borough of Islington Local Plan 2013
St Luke’s Conservation Area Guidelines
City of London Local Plan 2015
The Golden Lane Estate Listed Building Management Guidelines
These are the concerns expressed by people who were at the meeting.
City of London Local Plan 2015
The Golden Lane Estate Listed Building Management Guidelines
1. The Boundaries seem to be inaccurate.
2. Density, Scale and Massing. Density too high without open space to serve it; scale wrong for Golden Lane; massing intrusive on to views within and around Golden Lane Estate.
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| The Design and Access Statement page 18 |
2. Density, Scale and Massing. Density too high without open space to serve it; scale wrong for Golden Lane; massing intrusive on to views within and around Golden Lane Estate.
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| View from Whitecross Street |
3. Impact on residential blocks in the vicinity: Basterfield and Hatfield on Golden Lane Estate, but also on residential on Banner Street.
4. Limited capacity of play space for school and no green space for residents of tower.
5. Unwarranted loss of existing trees.
6. Fire report and access – no fire vehicular access for school/single entry and staircase for tower.
7. Substantial harm to views across the Estate including from Banner Street.
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| View of Basterfield House from the centre of the Golden Lane Estate |
9. Location of school hall and access - uncomfortable and intrusive.
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| View from Banner Street |
10. Location of school entrance now positioned in Golden Lane. Because a school is not needed in the area people will be travelling by car from North Islington, where there is need for more school places. This will cause traffic congestion.
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| The school hall is separate from the main building and will be hired out and used for nighttime activities. |
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| Proposed Golden Lane School entrance |
11. Noise disturbance from the school and the school hall in the evenings.
12. Loss of light to Basterfield and the Edible Golden Lane Allotments
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| The Edible Golden Lane Allotments will lose light |
13. Service access to School Hall and kitchens will disturb Hatfield House residents.
14. Land grab next to Hatfield House will mean bin store can’t be accessed.
15. Kitchen Extractor Fans onto Basterfield and Allotments.
16. The public consultations and community response was mis-represented in the Planning application.
17. It is not clear whether the new tower is considered an extension of the Golden Lane Estate.
18. The Golden Lane Estate already has extremely limited play spaces for children so it can not provide play areas for another 66 families.
18. The Golden Lane Estate already has extremely limited play spaces for children so it can not provide play areas for another 66 families.
19. The development should be aesthetically engaged with GLE and has the potential to be designed as such. Fred Scott posted this on Golden Lane website.
An overwhelming majority agreed that the proposals constitute and over-development of the site.
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| The proposed plans |
Good design as dictated in government policy, says that residents of tower blocks should have access to green space. The proposed tower has no gardens or space around it at all. Access to outside space is important to support tower developments.
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| All the towers in the area are surrounded by gardens |
A majority of people preferred low-rise accommodation and felt open space and access to outside space was important. In a densely populated urban area people's homes are small and shared outside space is crucial for physical and mental well-being and leads to community cohesion.
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| The Golden Lane fishpond |
As many written objections as possible are needed from both City and Islington residents.
Islington residents need to contact their local councillors. There are monthly surgeries with local councillors and Emily Thornberry MP at St Luke’s Community Hall.
The Planning Application documents are available in the Golden Lane Estate Office and the Barbican Library.
You can see the application on the City of London Planning website here or on the Islington Planning website here
The Islington reference for the application is ref:P2017/2961/Ful
We have uploaded the documents from the Islington website and these can be downloaded from this WeTransfer link. This is much easier than searching on the planning websites.
More information is on the GLERA FaceBook page here
Keep visiting our blog for updates.
The next public meeting is in the community centre on GLE at 6.30 pm Deadline for individual responses 24 August.
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