Grove Estate Development – Our Response

From The Pinner Association’s Response to the Second Public Consultation on the Proposals to Build Additional Housing on the Grove Estate Pinner:

Comparing the proposals presented at the second public consultation, in June 2018, with those presented at the first consultation, it is difficult to reconcile the plans presented on the second consultation display boards with the indicative plans displayed at the first consultation.

In particular, the feedback that:   “You Raised Concern With: • Height and Mass of Proposed Buildings   • Loss of Trees” does not seem to have been addressed in planning the proposed development.   The proposed footprints of the new buildings have been increased significantly from those outlined in the first consultation, with a concomitant greater proposed loss of mature trees. For both the “South Site” and “East Site” the existing trees on the boundary of and within the Grove Estate form an important role in screening the existing flats, to the benefit of both the residents of the flats and those residents with properties adjacent to the Grove Estate or to users of Pinner Village Gardens. Many of these trees would be lost if the development was to go ahead as currently proposed.

South Site: The orientation of the proposed town houses would result in actual overlooking of the private rear gardens of properties in Hereford Gardens and Cannon Lane. This unacceptable intrusion into the private amenity space of the existing dwellings has been recognised by the proposal for the design of these new houses to include: “South facing elevation – designed to mitigate overlooking issues by diffusing views from windows through the use of fins or louvers”.  

The proposed seven townhouses would intrude into the area currently occupied by mature trees, as well as using the area currently occupied by garages, hard standing and storage buildings. This is not what was shown on the indicative plan displayed at the first public consultation, where only the previously developed area was shown to be built upon.

If, despite the problem of building homes that would directly overlook rear gardens, it was to be decided to build town houses on the orientation shown, then all should be of the three bedroomed, mono-pitched roof, design with small obscured glass windows serving only non-habitable rooms such as bathrooms on the south elevation. These would then effectively be one storey on the side backing onto existing properties in Hereford Gardens / Cannon Lane to mitigate the already identified overlooking issues.

Fewer townhouses should be built so as to allow the existing screening trees to remain in situ, i.e. building should be restricted to the footprint of the existing developed area. The proposed design does not address the concerns raised at the first public consultation about the height and mass of the proposed new buildings, nor the concern about the loss of mature trees from the Grove Estate.

East Site: The proposal for a six storey block immediately adjacent to and visible from Pinner Village Gardens would be greatly detrimental to the amenity value of that park, whether of the design proposed in Scheme 1 or Scheme 2. If it is deemed absolutely imperative to build a large block of flats on the site, the design should be restricted to a maximum of four storeys to respect the current height of the buildings on the estate.   This would have the concomitant effect of allowing the new building to be constructed further from the eastern boundary of the Grove Estate, as not so much separation from the existing flats building would be required to allow sufficient light to reach the existing flats. As shown, both schemes would result in a very large, tall building being sited immediately adjacent to the boundary with Pinner Village Gardens.

Area Leaders Wanted!

The Pinner Association is in need of a new Area Leader, the link between our many Collectors and our Membership Secretary. As there are too many Collectors for one person to handle, Pinner is divided into five areas.

Not only is it an essential task – without the Area Leaders The Villager could not be delivered – but it is also an interesting task, and I can vouch for this, as I was one once. I got to know many local people, whom I may not otherwise have met, all of whom, are of course, most charming or they would not have volunteered to be Collectors in the first place!

If you are already a Collector you will be aware of your Area Leader’s existence because of the thrice-yearly visits with the magazines and the wherewithal to collect the subs. Why not move up the hierarchy and become an Area Leader?

His or her duties involve delivering the Villager magazine three times a year to the Collectors, ensuring that all the subs are eventually collected and keeping a record of the subs, which the Collectors will have paid into the Bank. (You do not have to handle the money.) Having a computer is an advantage. Also a car is really essential as distributing several hundred Villagers can be a weighty task. That said, one Area leader has trained her Collectors to collect their Villagers from her!

Volunteers should form an orderly queue outside Jill Cock’s house at any time, but possibly phoning 8868 5795 or emailing [email protected] might be easier.

 

Waxwell Lane Car Park


We have received the following notification from Harrow Council.

“This is to notify you that Waxwell Lane car park is being hired as a filming unit base on Thursday 5th July and Friday 6th July 2018.  A commercial is being filmed in a quiet cul-de-sac in Pinner.

We have agreed that a row of bays in the car park will be made available to permit holders and disabled car users.  The film company have also agreed to release bays if they are not in use.

We do apologise for the inconvenience and we would advise members of the public to utilise the Chapel Lane car park as an alternative parking option.

Please do contact me should you wish to discuss, I’m happy to help.

Kind regards
Darren Butterfield
Harrow Film Office (Business & Commercial Team)
Harrow Council”

Grove Estate Development – Consultation

The second public consultation on the council’s proposed additional development at the Grove Estate was held on 26th June.  The information boards on display at that consultation are:

Grove Estate 2018 June Consultation Boards (6MB)

These are still proposals being worked up by “Homes for Harrow” and no planning application(s) for any of these new buildings have yet been submitted to Harrow Council’s Planning Department. 

The proposal is to build on three sites within the boundary of the current estate:

 South Site – behind Cannon Lane and Hereford Gardens – site currently trees:   Three Storey Townhouses – 3 x 4B/6P Townhouse – 4 x 3B/6P Townhouse – Total = 7 Dwellings

East Site – very close to the fenced boundary with Pinner Village Gardens – will be clearly on view from the park:    Four to Six Storey Flat Block – 9 x 1B/2P Flat – 1 x 2B/3P Flat – 4 x 2B/4P Flat – 5 x 3B/4P Flat – Total = 19 Dwellings

North Site – facing onto Grove Avenue – site currently grass / shrubs:  Bungalows – 3 x 1B/2P Bungalow – Total = 3 Units

We will post more information as it becomes available or if any planning application(s) are submitted for these proposed developments.

 

Harrow Half Marathon

Yes, I know that it is hot and the only thing that you want to do is relax in the shade.

Have you thought of running a half Marathon? 

The Harrow Half Marathon organised for its second year by Harrow AC is taking place on Sunday 16th September 2018.  

The turning point for this is going to be the top of the High Street in Pinner … where we are likely to have a water station.  

If you are interested visit http://harrowhalfmarathon.co.uk

 

A Big Thank You!

The residents of 12 Haywood Close would like to send a Big thank you to every one who attended their recent Open Garden Day.

They had 234 visitors in 3 hours and raised a total of £1682 for the various charities that the NGS support, this included £350 from plant sales for Breast Cancer now.

They said “We would like to thank any residents for their support.”

(Sorry I’ve got no photos of the garden)