48 Chiswell Street - office redevelopment with terraces!

48 Chiswell Street – application now live with Islington Planning Dept:

How it may look - click for details

Golden Lane Campus - Another retrospective application

 The Golden Lane Campus is yet again making a retrospective planning application.  It would seem that there is no incentive for them to do otherwise, no danger of having to undo the work, no danger of a fine for the individual decision makers.  Why bother with the hassle of fighting for permission to do a thing when you can just do the thing and get it approved afterwards?

In this case the retrospective application is for play structures.

While we most certainly should think of the children, we should also think about the wider context including neighboring residences and, you know, following the boring old planning rules/laws.

I hope the children do indeed end up with good play facilities, but I also hope that the Islington planning team recognise the habits of the school regarding retrospective applications and take action to discourage it.

Click to read the whole document

 

This weekend: The Whitecross St Party

The Whitecross St. Party returns this year.  The 2021 event is entitled RISE OF THE NON CONFORMIST and will run from noon to 18:00 on the 11th and 12th of September.

The Poster

Event Map

Beech Street Zero Emission Scheme - reversed for now

A recent letter from the City explains that due to the combination of administration mistakes and a legal challenge the current 'experimental' Zero Emission Zone scheme will revert to allowing all traffic:

"The experiment (which can only last a maximum of 18 months) will conclude on 18 September. Beech Street will then reopen to general traffic and the closures at the junctions with Golden Lane and Bridgewater Street will be removed."

Here is the full text of the letter:

___

Dear Occupier

As you may know, the experimental traffic order (ETO) for the Beech Street zero emission scheme has been the subject of two legal challenges. The first, a statutory challenge of the validity of the ETO, was heard in October 2020. 

The judge found that while the ETO was valid and could continue, the City Corporation could not follow the usual “truncated” process for making an ETO permanent due to non-compliance with two procedural regulations. The first was that the ETO documents were not available for public inspection at Guildhall between 23 March and 22 April 2020 (during the first Covid-19 lockdown). The second was that the City Corporation did not provide an adequate statement of reasons to explain why the ETO was being introduced. The consultation carried out in respect of the ETO was found to be compliant with legal requirements. 

As a result of this finding, if it was decided to promote a permanent traffic order with the same effect as the experimental zero emission scheme, it would be necessary to follow a separate process to introduce a new traffic order. 

The second legal challenge was a judicial review of the decision by the Streets & Walkways SubCommittee in February 2021 to continue the experimental zero emission scheme. This was heard on 29 and 30 June 2021. The judgement, issued on 10 August, concludes that the experiment remains valid and dismisses the claim. 

An interim order issued when the judicial review was granted permission to proceed, prevented us from undertaking any further work on a permanent scheme that replicates the current experiment. As a result, planned public consultation on a potential permanent scheme for Beech Street was put on hold. The recent judgement means that we can resume work on a potential permanent scheme. 

The experiment (which can only last a maximum of 18 months) will conclude on 18 September. Beech Street will then reopen to general traffic and the closures at the junctions with Golden Lane and Bridgewater Street will be removed. 

Islington Council will be reviewing the ETO in relation to Fortune Street and will write to its residents both in Fortune Street and the surrounding area to advise whether the restriction on Fortune Street will also be removed on the 18 September. 

We will continue to monitor the Beech Street experiment between now and the 18 September. Despite the impacts of Covid-19, the experiment has enabled us to collect useful data on traffic and air quality and to understand the impact of the scheme on resident access and deliveries.

We are investigating whether it will be possible to retain the new central reservation gaps (for Lauderdale Place and Shakespeare/Defoe car park) on Beech Street. This will be subject to an independent road safety audit. 

Infrastructure changes made for the experiment, such as the new cameras and signage, will be left in place but disabled, so that these can easily be reused if a decision is taken to proceed with a similar permanent scheme in the future. 

The project team and your elected members remain committed to improving air quality on Beech Street and in the wider area. We plan to launch a consultation on options for Beech Street before the end of the year. Some of these options could be relatively quick to implement. At the same time, we plan to begin engagement to understand aspirations for wider changes to improve air quality and the experience of walking, cycling and spending time in the Barbican and Golden Lane area. 

In the meantime, we are continuing to progress separate improvements to the zebra crossing on Golden Lane and the Fann Street and Brackley Street junctions with Golden Lane. 

Please do not hesitate to contact the project team if you have any questions at beech.street@cityoflondon.gov.uk 

Many thanks 

Ian Hughes 

Deputy Director, Transportation and Public Realm

Fortune Street Park Survey

Fortune Street Park Survey

The London Borough of Islington wants to hear your views about Fortune Street Park! Please take a few moments to complete their survey at www.islington.gov.uk/ fortunestreetpark and help inform concept designs for improvements.

The survey closes on 13 September.

Looking South West

Looking North East

 

School Pergola - retrospective planning permission sought

Once again the Golden Lane Campus is running into planning issues.  This time the school have added structures to eastern play areas, including a pergola.  They did this without bothering with the planning process and have now applied for retrospective planning permission as explained in a letter from Islington council:

Click to read the whole letter

Any comments must be in by 2021-05-02.  See P2021/0328/FUL on the Islington planning web site.

One would expect that a retrospective application would have a higher bar to reach for approval (to discourage people from deliberately asking for forgiveness rather than permission in advance) so it unfortunate that the school did not do the right thing in the first place.  Let's hope that the amenity for the children (and indeed local residents) is not compromised by this mistake.

Golden Lane Campus Floodlighting: How many lights?

In February the Golden Lane Campus was given planning approval for the installation of flood lighting.  Given permission for 4 powerful light fittings, it seems the school has actually had 8 installed.

What the plans said

What the plans said to make it clear

What was actually installed ... Not 4 but 8

Golden Lane Campus - Flood Lighting Approved

The long running process of the Golden Lane Campus applying for permission to install flood lighting on rooftop playing areas has reached a conclusion.  The application has been approved.

From the chair of the Ben Jonson House Group:
___

Dear all,

I attended the planning meeting at Islington Town Hall last night along with about 7 other objectors from both Breton and Ben Jonson. 3 of us spoke followed by 2 speakers on behalf of the applicants, a spokesman from the lighting firm and a parent. The councillors decided that the outdoor exercise needs of the pupils took precedence over our concerns and so granted permission for the floodlighting.

It is very disappointing that the installation of a green wall to mitigate noise was dismissed as ineffective and that our petition for use to be limited to 6 pm or 6.30 at the latest was dismissed because permission has already existed from the start for use of the MUGA to 8pm. Although the school does not currently exercise this right in the daylight hours of summer, the Headteacher said this was only because they could not offer the same facility to pupils in winter.

It is the case that the school was trying to raise funds for a green wall to address air pollution, so there may still be some mileage in supporting that initiative, which has the backing of Islington's environmental team because pollution levels at the school are above the recommended limit.

Now that permission has been granted, we'll need to find ways of working with the school to limit disruption to our amenities.

Kind regards

Golden Lane Campus - Flood Lighting update

The long running story of the flood lighting for the Golden Lane Campus has taken another step, the planning application will be heard on the 11th of February at the Islington Town Hall:

Click to read the whole letter

The text of the email containing the letter said:
___

You have received this email from Islington Council (Planning Service) in relation to a planning matter at Prior Weston Primary School Golden Lane Campus, 101 Whitecross Street, LONDON, EC1Y 8JA.

The attached correspondence contains important information; please retain it for your records.

If you would like to respond, please reply to planning@islington.gov.uk

In any correspondence, please quote the Council reference number, which is included in the attached letter.

Proposed Flood Lighting at Prior Weston School

From the chair of the house group:

(apologies for the late posting of this to the blog.  Please do contact Fred if you would like to join this petition)

___

PROPOSED FLOODLIGHTING AT PRIOR WESTON SCHOOL
The residents of Ben Jonson House, Breton House and Cooper House in Whitecross are invited to support the petition below.

To support it either send your name and address to Fred Rodgers, 100 Breton House EC2Y 8PQ or email them to fredrodgers@me.com before 8 October please.

To

The Members of Planning sub Committee A London Borough of Islington
Town Hall
Upper Street
N1 2UD

Re: P2016/1803/FUL: Installation of floodlighting at Prior Weston School, Golden Lane Campus, 101 Whitecross Street, EC1Y 8JA (the Application)

We the below named who would all be affected by the approval of the Application, request that, if the same is to be approved, additional conditions are imposed to ensure that:

• Effective acoustic screening, as proposed in the planning application P approved on 28 January 2006 but waived by Building Control 05 April 2006, is installed around the MUGA to half a metre higher than the proposed floodlighting, as soon as practically possible and before installation of the floodlighting;

• The use of the floodlighting after 6.00 pm be restricted to term time and to one day per week, with no such use on Fridays; and

• Only Golden Lane Campus pupils be permitted to use the MUGA at any time.

We trust that you will both note and take proper account of our request when considering the Application.

8 October 2018
Name Address

Golden Lane Campus - Flood Lighting update

It seems that the plans to install flood lighting for the roof play areas of the Golden Lane Campus have come back to life.  Apparently the brightness (lux level) of the proposed lights are now included in the plans:

Click to read the whole letter

Parker McMillan II license granted

The application by The Brewery to operate a licensed club on the site of the old Parker McMillan has been approved by the Islington council.

Click to read the letter sent by the Islington council

... and as a reminder of where Parker McMillan was, and where the new club will be:

Courtesy of Google Street View (click to enlarge)

The Brewery: licensing hearing 12th Sept

A public hearing will be held regarding the application for "Parker McMillian II" on 12th September at 18:30 at the Islington town hall.  Here is the notice:

Click to read whole notice

The Brewery license application update

Residents have objected to the new licensing application submitted by The Brewery, fearing a repeat of what happened with the, now closed, Parker McMillan club. When it was operating the Parker McMillan club ran events which ran late and attracted lots of noisy people (e.g. screaming fans of pop stars) who kept up the noise until very late.

The alderman for Cripplegate, David Graves, has received a letter (and supporting document) from the applicant's lawyers which seems to try to quell the fears of a Parker McMillan MkII. See a copy of the letter & document below.

David writes:

I assume that those of you who objected will have received today (as I have) a letter from the Applicant's solicitor expressing their client's wish to work with local residents and to that end it has modified the Application to reduce the terminal hour to midnight Monday - Saturday with a Sunday finish at 11pm.

Only recorded music will be provided beyond 11pm and there will be conditions designed to prevent public nuisance - essentially to suggest that the business is sit down dining with ancillary alcohol, rather than the other way round, and no intention to operate as a nightclub.

It seems to me that whatever good intentions may lie behind this, aside from a "wind down" policy before the terminal hour is reached, there is little in the business method or EHO conditions that addresses the risk of noise outbreak associated with departing guests. That said, I am not sure there is much more they can do beyond deciding that this is the wrong location for the business intended and look elsewhere. I suspect we won't persuade them of that.

Although not specifically requested in the covering letter, it seems that there is an implicit invitation to either agree to the modified application or to resubmit objections to the revised application.

The letter and document:

Click to read the whole wad

The Brewery - New licensing application

The Brewery on Chiswell St. have submitted a new licensing application.  If you live at the eastern end of Ben Jonson House this may be of interest to you:

Click to zoom in

School Floodlights Circular

A resident has posted a two page circular to the flats which could be directly affected by the proposed Prior Weston floodlights.

The circular ends by pointing out that the deadline for objections is the 27th October (this Thursday), so if you want to comment on the application be quick (follow the link above to see how to comment).

Click to read the whole circular

School Floodlight Objections

If you feel you may be affected by the addition of floodlights on the Prior Weston school play area (see location here) the deadline for letting Islington council know is 27th October.

For a list of valid reasons to object to planning applications see here.

To submit an objection to this application visit the Islington Planning Portal. Click here for details of how to do this.

The Barbican Association, Ben Jonson House Group and Breton House Group will be raising objections, but it is important that individuals submit their own objections.  If there are only a few objections Islington officers may approve the application using delegated powers rather than allowing the application to go before the planning committee.

Clearly is this important to people, which explains why colour notices have popped up in the lifts.  If you do wish to post a notice then please link to this blog (and this article) as there is much more more information here.

Please remember to add a link to the blog

... and if you have a colour printer and wish to look after the notice boards please do let me know.  Your help with that would be most welcome.

School floodlighting planning application is in

The Prior Weston school has submitted a planning application for their proposed floodlights. The application is now validated and visible on the Islington planning portal (search for P2016/1803/FUL).

The school clearly decided they didn't want to discuss this further with residents nor run a test installation to give residents an idea of how what they had in mind would look in practice before submitting the application.

Copies of the documents which form part of the application are here.

According to the planning application details on the Islington site (copy here), comments may be made until 27th October.  You may wish to review the valid reasons for objections, but the main considerations here are likely to be light pollution and the possibility of noise later in a floodlit evening.  The school tell us that the reason for the lighting is to allow the use of outdoor spaces in the winter, with no extension in usage beyond the times we experience in the summer.  Planning conditions need to be in place to ensure this, so do write in if this will affect you.

It looks like comments must be submitted via the Islington planning portal:

Click to visit the portal. Search for P2016/1803/FUL

Here is a snip of the light spillage document in the application (copy here):

Click to zoom in.  Use links above to view original documents.

Flood Lighting for the School

Prior Weston school is one of three schools located in the Golden Lane Campus which is the school complex just to the north of Breton House, in Islington.

Prior Weston would like to install flood lighting to one of their outdoor play areas.  The school have given us a brief note explaining what they have in mind:

Click here to read the note

As the note says, we (Breton and Ben Jonson house group reps) met to talk with school and contractor reps, and we look forward to talking again when the plans are firmed up.  We have suggested a residents meeting where people can see the proposed lighting, ideally in action.

The area to be floodlit is shown on this photo of a google maps print-out we were shown:

Click for a slightly larger version.

Fortune Park Fun Day: Sat. 5th July

The annual fun will be held in Fortune Park on Saturday, 5th July from 12:00 until 17:00 ...

Fun in the park