Group encourages residents to comment before deadline

A group of concerned local residents, prompted by the number of major developments around Putney High Street have organised a public meeting to discuss the future of the area.

Their goal of the group is get people engaged with a general push for a "Better Putney" - they hope to gather residents' opinions and relay them to Wandsworth's planning department and developers.

A spokesperson for the group said:
" Rather than stand in the way of all development, we want to ensure that what is done is sympathetic to the area and best meets the needs of the residents, existing business community, Church etc."

BetterPutney reported that concerns that emerged from the Sunday meeting from residents were:

  •     The proposed height is out of scale with the area. In the objections raised at the public consultation (where of those making comments 2/3 of people did not support the proposals) – the height was the main objection, and this was not reflected in the final submission with no changes to the 8 storey height.

  •        Pollution – this is a major issue as our High Street is already one of the most polluted roads in the UK – more “canyoning” just makes it worse. The extra blocking of the predominately Westerly wind direction by this building will further reduce airflow into the North/South High Street and make things even worse.

 •       The scale and mass of the building impacts on privacy & lighting – overshadowing residences and local businesses on Felsham Road, Lacy Road, Walkers Place and the easterly side of the High Street – significantly reducing sunlight. 

 •       The proposed public square is not “substantial” and doesn’t prioritise pedestrians over vehicles and thus doesn’t meet the Council’s planning principles – as laid out in their Site Specific Allocations Document (SSAD) . The design includes “shared use” of Lacy Road – despite increased traffic looking for parking, still needing to still access the Exchange car park.

 •        There are access issues for deliveries needing to reach the building through either through the back streets to reach Felsham Road, or through the “shared usage” Lacy Road. More traffic is generated by cars and greater numbers of delivery lorries, adding pollution and noise to back streets and their residents.  

  •          Only 26 parking spaces for 108 flats – adding pressure to local street parking from residents looking for spaces, their visitors and adding to the pollution. 

  •        Walkers Place does not become “active frontage” – as outlined in the SSAD development principles. It remains an area for the increased deliveries required for the larger retail premises, refuse collection for the residential and retail businesses. The design should enable this area to be active frontage, and deliveries into the development could be done into a central area within the development, accessed by a roadway into the inner area of the development – taking this off the surrounding streets.  

  •        The proposal has a low number of affordable flats at under 20%, when council target is 33%. This builds on the low percentages already seen on the Upper Richmond Road developments.

  •         Loss of office space and local jobs as the development is only retail and residential – thus cutting office space, building on loss from Upper Richmond Road. There is a loss of space for important local amenities – with no suitable space in the development for the popular local Eddie Catz business, that provides an important service to local families.

After the meeting the spokesman for the group told PutneySW15: "The BetterPutney group want residents and local businesses to have their say, and we hope that the plans will be reviewed fully and rejected by the Council, and so fresh proposals addressing the above concerns can be made by the developers."

He continued: " If rejected, a better designed lower height building at a maximum of five storeys, with a substantial real public square, more affordable housing, less impact on privacy and light of nearby homes, an active frontage on Walkers Place and with the inclusion of some office space and a home for Eddie Catz may well then be presented by the developers. With the premium on residential prices in Putney, even with less flats, the developers can still make an acceptable return – and the council can get revenue from the CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) – but without Putney being spoilt by an out of place development."

Residents show how they feel at the meeting

The meeting on Sunday was well attended by residents, various councillors including the three Thamesfield Councillors and Labour's candidate for Putney Sheila Boswell, Justine Greening was unable to attend

To comment on the application go to: planning.wandsworth.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=2014/7344 deadline is the 22nd February.

If you want to be kept informed you can email betterputney@gmail.com.

February 13, 2015