There are currently three issues that our Councillors are monitoring: the Raven Garage Sites, Shawley School’s Artificial Grass Pitch and the redevelopment of the Downs Cottage site in Great Tattenhams.
An article will appear in the winter issue of the Tattenham & Preston Residents Association Magazine which will be distributed to all homes in the area during December. But here is an early copy of this article.
RAVEN GARAGE SITES
Raven Housing Trust are proposing to demolish some of their garage blocks built in the 1960’s and to replace by social housing. With the size of cars having grown significantly in the past 50 years, most won’t fit the garages. Some have been used for classic cars; residents and small businesses such as gardeners and builders have been using them for storage. Some are empty, and many renters are not local. Raven’s mandate is to provide social housing, and this is why they want to redevelop.
The Residents Association hand delivered flyers to residents living near the garage blocks to both alert and share concerns. Three sites have now been approved by the Planning Committee, despite objections voiced by Residents Association councillors. These sites are:
Downland Gardens: Three new houses. We opposed these because of the out of character design of the buildings, the lack adequate amenity space for the central property and the overlooking/ domination of neighbours. The Committee agreed by a majority to the development because of the pressing need for social housing.
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Ferriers Way and Hatch Gardens: Responding to overdevelopment, amenity space and on-site parking concerns, Raven have reduced the number of intended properties. The Ferriers Way site from four to three houses with seven parking spaces, and Hatch Gardens from three to two houses with five parking spaces.
Whilst our councillors were pleased to see the reduction in the number of properties, they still have concerns about displacement parking onto the very crowded roads around both sites. Councillor Jill Bray felt that the parking capacity surveys were inaccurate. The area around Ferriers Way, Coxdean and Long Walk takes a lot of through traffic and there is the impact too of the Chavecroft redevelopment. She eloquently argued for the Planning Committee to commission its own parking study, but the Committee narrowly rejected this. Both applications were approved by a majority vote.
The Residents Association’s view is that whilst more social housing is needed in the area, the impact on our roads in terms of on-street parking is a serious concern and has to be fully provided for.
Upland Way and Shawley Crescent: These two applications, which are both for six houses, have yet to come to the Planning Committee. We think both sites are over-developed and looking to see what reductions are proposed. Upland Way shares its access with a public footpath, well used by school children. The Shawley Crescent site has a very long, narrow access road and the area is very over-parked and has flooding issues.
SHAWLEY SCHOOL ARTIFICIAL GRASS PITCH
Shawley Academy is looking to improve sports provision at the school with a new artificial pitch. The school also plans to hire the pitch out to all-comers for matches and for training, made possible by LED sports lighting.
Councillors met with the school back in January to express the significant concerns of neighbours for the out of hours use. We reported extensively on this application in our Spring newsletter. We were told that changes would be made, but nine months later, there have been few changes.
The Council’s own advisers state that the “hours and the nature of the intended use and the siting of the pitch has significant potential to cause harm to neighbour amenity” and that “there does not appear to be any strong justification for such an intensification.” To recap on some of the key concerns:
Hours of Use: Although the pitch is only aimed for use by 12’s and under, Monday to Thursday use is proposed as up to 9:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays up to 6:00pm plus 2:00pm Sundays.
Noise and Disruption: Neighbouring properties would be very close to the pitch. A significant concern is large youth football teams using the facility every day of the week for training; we are told that up to 60 youngsters (plus coaches and parents) is not uncommon. There has been discussion about acoustic barriers to contain noise, but nothing has come forward. Barriers would create visual intrusion and might still be ineffective against whistles, shouting etc. We have asked for controls to limit players to the intended 12’s and under. Again no action.
Transport and Parking: The school has prepared a travel plan, but it does not recognise the potential for very large numbers at training sessions, nor that the majority would inevitably arrive by car.
Lighting: The lighting has been modified to limit overspill on immediate neighbours, but the sky glow is likely to appreciably alter the character of the area.
Community Use Management Plan: The school has not said how they would manage the site after hours. We are told that school staff would not be present, and that management would be through “letting” staff, who may well be not on site.
DOWNS COTTAGE SITE – GREAT TATTENHAMS
The old nursing home near to the shops at Tattenham Corner is now boarded up. Having been a house of multiple occupation (HMO) for quite a few years, nearby residents are agreed that something needs to be done with the site.
The most recent application for 8 houses has been refused by the Council, based on the scale and design, closeness to neighbours and the cramped layout, unsympathetic to the area. We await to see if the owners submit an appeal. In the meantime, an older application for 14, mainly one-bedroom flats, awaits a decision from the Council. As always, the question of parking overspill is an issue.