How to object to Solum's plans

As promised, here's how to object to Solum's high-rise, low-quality plans for Walthamstow Central station car park (see the stories below for more details of the plans).

Please spare a few minutes ASAP to object to the plans - by emailing or writing to Ian Ansell (dcmail@walthamforest.gov.uk FAO: Ian Ansell), Development Management, Sycamore House, Town Hall Complex, Forest Road, London E17 4JF. Please quote "Application number 2010/1047 (1-2, 3,4,5,6 and 10, Station Approach, Hoe Street and 1,2,3 Station Approach, Selborne Road Walthamstow London E17 9QF)"

If you're stuck for what to say about them, the rough text of the points we're planning to make is below (click on "Read More..."). Please use them as inspiration. By all means copy and paste the bits you agree with but please be sure to say a few unique things yourself, or use your own words, because your objection will carry much more weight if it is unique...

Re: Application number 2010/1047 (1-2, 3,4,5,6 and 10, Station Approach, Hoe Street and 1,2,3 Station Approach, Selborne Road Walthamstow London E17 9QF)

I am writing to object to these plans on the following grounds:

1. Massing
The scheme is out of scale. It will overshadow and dominate Victorian houses on Priory Avenue (4.1, Urban Design Supplementary Planning Document). The massing is also out of keeping with surrounding blocks (5.7.1, 5.7.2 and 5.9.2 Urban Design Supplementary Planning Document). The 13 storey hotel block sits too close to Hoe Street and is far taller than the existing tallest local building – Tower Mews, which is already unpopular with local residents.
The Prince's Foundation plan for Walthamstow Town Centre recommended no more than 5-7 storey buildings (www.walthamforest.gov.uk/walthamstow-sec3-massing-may08.pdf) for the site. And Waltham Forest's IPPF, derived from The Prince's Foundation report, says new developments must: "demonstrate, if a tall building is included in the scheme, how the development creates an attractive landmark enhancing London’s character, helps to provide a coherent location for economic clusters of related activities and/ or acts as a catalyst for regeneration and takes into account design and impact on their surroundings. (LP 4B.8)" (www.walthamforest.gov.uk/master-plan-ippf.pdf).
Allowing higher massing will also set a bar for other developers in the town centre to aspire to. Waltham Forest council should be sending a clear message that enough is enough.

2. New public square
The plan features retail units around a new public square. Yet this space will likely fail as it will be dominated by blocks that will tower over it, with one side of the square also used by loading lorries and other vehicles (including likely cabs from the proposed taxi office).

3. Design of buildings
There is little from the plans to indicate a high quality of design, or a design that is in keeping with its surrounds. And the current design also puts the tallest building at the entrance to the site – creating a visual barrier to the site. The current existing buildings at the entrance of the site are quality Victorian buildings and should be protected (5.7.4, Urban Design Supplementary Planning Document). Their retention would improve the site.

4. Links to town centre
The plan is still not effectively linked to central Walthamstow's main civic spaces – the town square/High Street. And therefore it risks further splitting Walthamstow residents as to how they come out of the station. The hotel also will add nothing to Walthamstow's economic vitality and viability – with unattractive links from the site to the High Street etc. – and most likely residents of the hotel will simply be commuters who will shop, eat, drink etc. (spending their money) at Liverpool Street or in central London.

5. Quality of design
The designs bear little relation to the surrounding area and feature large repetitive facades of low-quality design, made worse by their sheer scale/height. This is meant to be a key site for the future of Walthamstow town centre – but it clearly sets a very low bar in terms of future development in terms of quality of design.
CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, said of Solum's Epsom scheme: "We do not think this scheme should receive planning approval, and are disappointed by the low quality approach to the design of both the station, and the associated retail, hotel and residential development… We understand it is the first of a series of station redevelopment projects… This approach… should not be rolled out to the other stations... A fundamental rethink is required… to achieve greater improvements to the station, a great place to live, and an architectural character more responsive to Epsom." (www.cabe.org.uk/design-review/epsom-railway-station-2). Fairly obviously, given the pictures on CABE's website, and the proposed mix of uses in the Epsom scheme, the opposite is happening – Solum are rolling out a low-quality one-size-fits-all scheme with hotel, residential, retail and tower blocks as bog standard as they can get away with.

6. Lack of overall plan
There is a parcel of land attached to the site that hasn't been included in the plans – and is set to be sold off at a later date. Given the strategic importance of the site in the town centre and its creation of new public space, but with only one point of access to the whole site, it's vital this land and plans for it are considered in concert with the rest of the site. That hasn't been done yet, and there's no guarantee it will be.