ANOTHER BETTING SHOP IN LEYTONSTONE!

620 High Road Leytonstone – site of proposed Paddy Power Bookmakers

After the successful protests against the betting shop in Church Lane, the Liberal Democrats are concerned that yet another planning application has been lodged for a branch of Paddy Power in High Road Leytonstone. The Shopping Centre is already inundated with betting shops – surely there is no demand for another.

Paddy Power Bookmakers have lodged an application to open a branch at 620 High Road Leytonstone.

Residents can find details of the application from the Council website by quoting planning application 2014/0996, which covers change of use from category A1 (retail) to A2 (betting office). in the Planning Explorer.

Other application cover:

  • Illuminated fascia and projecting sign – 2014.09967/ADV
  • New shopfront – 2014/0998
  • Two wall-mounted air conditioning units, two satellite dishes at 1st floor level and a TV aerial- 2014/1003

Comments on this application should be sent to:

Planning Applications – Development Management
London Borough of Waltham Forest
Sycamore House,
Forest Road
Walthamstow
E17 4SU
020 8496 3000
dcmail@walthamforest.gov.uk

Old Leytonstone Police Station – planning update

Former Police Station in High Road Leytonstone

Planning Application no. 2011/1229

At a recent meeting of the Planning Committee planning permission was refused for change of use from police station to school and nursery.

The reasons for refusal included an over-development of the site; increased traffic generation, congestion and increased demand for on street parking.

Full details can be found on the Council’s website, by quoting the application number in the Planning Explorer.

Planning Change – ‘Recipe for Disaster’

Waltham Forest Lib Dems warn Government that planning change ‘recipe for disaster’

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats have criticised Government proposals to relax planning laws for a three-year period and labelled them a ‘recipe for disaster’. The Lib Dems successfully passed a motion at full council receiving cross-party support to oppose the changes proposed by the government.

The Government announced in the summer plans to kick start the building industry. A public consultation was launched to extend the exemption for planning permission for home extensions of up to 6 metres. Legislation currently allows for extensions up to 3 metres to avoid the planning process. If the proposals became law, owners of street properties could find their rear windows flanked by six-metre extensions on both sides, plunging them into darkness for most of the day.

Developers could be allowed to by-pass planning controls to fast-track commercial and housing applications. Business premises would be able to expand by 100sq metres and industrial units by 200sq metres. Offices would be permitted to convert to residential use all without planning permission, irrespective of the impact they would have on a neighbourhood.

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats fear the plans will potentially block out light, split communities, damage conservation policies and do nothing to encourage economic growth locally that is not achieved already.

The Government’s proposals are currently out for consultation. Liberal Democrats at their annual conference also rejected the move overwhelmingly.

 

Liberal Democrat Planning Spokesperson, Councillor Liz Phillips, said:

“These proposals are a recipe for disaster. They have not been properly thought through. If this is allowed to happen it could set neighbour against neighbour and split communities in Waltham Forest for years to come.

“On top of the resentment and loss of quality of life, some people’s houses will also plummet in value if they’ve got no light or a noisy factory is within a few metres of their front door.

“There is no evidence that this will do anything to promote economic growth in Waltham Forest. The Government needs to ditch these divisive and unnecessary plans.”

WHAT LOCAL BUSINESSES WANT FOR CHRISTMAS!

LIB DEMS CALL FOR COUNCIL RETHINK OVER PARKING IN THE BOROUGH

With problems over the CPZ consultation and plans by Waltham Forest Council to sell off the Stanley Road Car Park in Bakers Arms shopping area, parking is fast becoming a big issue in the Borough.

Lib Dems are opposing plans by the council to sell off the car park at Bakers Arms. And have gone further by asking the council to extend free parking times over the Christmas period to help local businesses.

Cllr Mahmood Hussain, Lib Dem Environment spokesperson said:

“With Christmas coming up, now would be the perfect time to help local businesses by extending the 15 minutes free parking time up to 30 minutes for the remaining few weeks. This would help our local shops compete with supermarkets and the big shopping centres nearby.

“And selling off the Bakers’ Arms car park is clearly the wrong decision. The car park is badly signposted at the moment but if we could bring it back into proper use it could be a great asset for local businesses.

“Cabinet members need to rethink parking in the Borough and focus on how it can help local businesses.”

Chair of the Bakers’ Arms Business Forum, Suleman Ahmed said:

“We should be taking advantage of the resource that we have in this car park at Bakers’ Arms. If the car park was better managed and better signposted by the council then it would not need to be sold off.

“Extending free parking would also be a great boost to local businesses in the run up to the Christmas period.”

Drapers Playing Field update!

Planning Application No. 2012/1627/MMA

The Council has lodged an additional planning application for Drapers Field to amend the plans previously submitted.

It covers changes to materials, surfacing and layout of the play areas, plus the formation of a cycle path adjacent to the footpath cutting across the centre of the field.

The FOCUS Team understands that planned ‘urban beach’ has been abandoned.

Further details are available on the council website, and are accessible by quoting the above application number on the Planning Explorer.

Leytonstone Fire Station – plans aproved!

Impression of the new Leytonstone Fire Station 

The Planning Committee has approved London Fire Brigade’s application to demolish and rebuild the old fire station in Leytonstone High Road.

The new building will provide room for modern fire fighting appliances and training facilities, plus a visiting space for the public.

The fire engines will be temporarily transferred to other stations, and the Brigade says that there would be no reduction in cover as a result.

Church Lane Car Park – under threat

Church Lane Car Park

 

Application Number: 2012/1423/LA

The Council has lodged the above planning application to further reduce the size of the Church Lane Shopping Centre Car Park, by installing a multi-use games area including new fences, gates and bollards; and reconfiguration of the car park.
 
The FOCUS Team believes that the prime function of a shopping centre car park is to attract ‘out of area’ shoppers to the range of independent retailers who do not have their own customer parking facilities. In Leytonstone even Argos must rely on public parking.
 
A report of the borough’s car parks, presented to the Cabinet, alleged that Church Lane Car Park is underused. The photograph above was taken on a normal weekday and only shows a disabled bay vacant. So much for ‘underused’.
 
LATE INFORMATION: the installation of the multi-use games area will involve the loss of 18/19 car parking spaces – this will inevitably mean less, or no, spaces left for shopper parking.
 
Full details of the plan should be on the Council’s website – look in the Planning Explorer, quoting the application number.
 
Comments on this proposal should be sent to:
Development Management, London Borough of Waltham Forest,
Sycamore House, Town Hall Complex,
Forest Road, E17 4JP
 
Closing date for comments: 4th November

Campaign to save The Birkbeck Tavern

The Birkbeck Tavern, Langthorne Road

Local residents have laumched a petition to save this public house being turned into more flats.

The Focus Team understands that the Birkbeck Tavern, in Langthorne Road, is on sale for £575,000 following the owners going into administration last June.

The Birkbeck Tavern has become more popular recently following its reinvention as a music venue. Opposition to the sell-off is growing with over 1400 signatures already on the petition.

The local residents have plans to showcase it as a community pub.

A public meeting is being held on Tuesday 25th September from at 8pm. This will be followed by a one day music festival, called Birk Fest, which i9s to take place on 28th October.

To view and sign the petition click below:

http://www.change.org/petitions/waltham-forest-council-save-the-birkbeck-tavern?utm_campaign=new_signature&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt#share

Planning News – The Britannia Public House

Application No: 2012/0994

The Planning Officers have approved this proposal to erect a three storey building at 493-495 High Road Leytonstone, the site of the former Britannia Public House.

The building will comprise a restaurant at the ground floor and basement. The restaurant shall only operate between the hours of 9am and 11pm Monday – Saturday and 9am – 10.30pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

On the upper floors will be 8 self-contained flats (5 x 1 bed 2 person units and 3 x 1 bed single person units).

Full details can be found on the council website, www.walthamforest.gov.uk by quoting the application number on The Planning Explorer.