The demo against the Arcade tower block - and tower blocks in Walthamstow generally - will be at noon this Sunday, 1st June in Walthamstow town square.
Please save the date, please come along and please tell all your local friends and family. Everyone involved in tower block decisions - from local councillors on the planning committee to Mayor Boris who has the power to veto tower block plans - cares about public opinion. So put simply, the more of us that turn up the more notice they will take!
The demo promises to be short and fun for all the family. Hope to see you there...
Friday, 30 May 2008
Fight The Height needs you! Demo at noon on Sunday 1st June
About us - why Fight The Height?
Fight The Height was originally founded by Cleveland Park Residents' Association but now has members from all over Walthamstow. What brings us together is our opposition to the tower block planned for the "Arcade" site (on the corner of High Street and Hoe Street) and to the many other tower blocks planned for Walthamstow, such as the ones currently being fought by Blackhorse Action Group.
The general problem with tower blocks in Walthamstow is that they're out of place in an area that's typically low-rise, two- and three-storey Victorian houses. Plus no-one wants to live in them - according to a recent survey by the Architecture Commission, less than one per cent of people would live by choice in a tower block. What's more, the main argument in favour of tower blocks is that we need high density housing, but there are better alternatives - as explained in this interview with the experts from The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment.
There are a couple of other reasons why the Arcade tower block in particular - which developer St Modwen and LBWF council plan to be around 18 storeys - would be disastrous for central Walthamstow. For starters, it will contain a massive Primark, which would put many small shops and traders on Walthamstow Market out of business. And it is also due to include a VUE multiplex cinema... and while Walthamstow certainly needs a cinema, the right place for it is undoubtedly the highly listed EMD/Granada two doors away. A multiplex in the Arcade development would be the final nail in the coffin for plans to get the beautiful EMD reopened.
What do we propose instead? Put simply, we think the council - which owns the land - needs to go back to the drawing board. And this time it needs to: a) genuinely involve the community in the design process; b) come up with a low-rise design that includes facilities that the community wants and needs; and c) balance the need to recoup money from the site with the need for a quality development that residents want - right now the council is simply planning to sell to the highest bidder!
[Many thanks to the Walthamstow Guardian for the use of the photo. It was taken by David Edwards and is copyright Newsquest]
St Modwen flags are coming down
Haha! As suspected, the arrogant St Modwen flags on the Arcade site are indeed illegal because they don't have advertisement consent.
Responding to our complaint, a council officer said: "The matter has been raised with St Modwen who have undertaken to remove the flags at this time. They have however indicated that they will be making an application for advertisement consent to put them back, and we will consult on this in the usual way." He adds that the flags should be down by early next week.
Hmm, small victories. But this isn't just about the illegal flags themselves... although they are pretty obnoxious. It's about the fact that St Modwen have pitched up in Walthamstow and think they can act like they own the place. They've put up hoardings that boast they will be on site in Spring 2009 but they haven't even applied for planning permission yet, let alone got it. They make it sound like it's a done deal. Trust us, it isn't!
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Could St Modwen's plans be delayed?
Arcade site preferred developer St Modwen has delayed plans for revamping Hatfield town centre, blaming "the unstable state of the finance, retail and property markets", according to this Herts 24 news story.
Could this happen to their tower block plans for Walthamstow? We very much hope so... but a delay isn't enough. We're hoping that the impending housing crash will make the council and St Modwen do a complete u-turn on their plans.
What Walthamstow really needs is for the council to go back to the drawing board - this time with genuine involvement of local residents and market traders - and to come up with a scheme that will actually be good for Walthamstow. Time and again councillors and officers have come up with plans that won't work, and that never materialise anyway. Locals seem to have a much better idea of what Walthamstow needs - so why don't they just ask?!
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
St Modwen's Arcade site flags illegal!
It turns out that St Modwen isn't allowed to fly those horrid big flags on the Arcade site! We've consulted a planning expert who tells us that flags are regulated under advertisement consent, not planning permission, but that a developer is only allowed to fly such flags on site once they have full planning permission for the development itself. St Modwen hasn't even applied for planning permission yet.
We're not in the least bit surprised. Flying corporate flags illegally fits perfectly with a developer that arrogantly boasts that it will be working on site in Spring 2009 (almost as if the council has promised that it will get planning permission...). Ordinarily a council would serve an enforcement notice on a developer for putting up flags illegally, but because they're working together we're guessing the council is unlikely to do so unless we remind them.
So... we have complained to the council and asked them to get St Modwen to take those flags down at once! If you're furious about them too, please send a quick email saying so as well - to LBWF's assistant director for development Shifa Mustafa and CC it to the cabinet members for environment Cllr Bob Belam and regeneration Cllr Terry Wheeler.
Many thanks to the resident who tipped us off about this. Please everyone keep all those ideas and relevant newspaper clips coming!
Antiscrap: Calling all artists
Fab campaign group Antiscrap is organising an exhibition for the E17 Art Trail called "State of the Borough 2008" (a response to the council's invitation only non-debate of the same name) and are asking artists to give vent to their feelings about the state of Waltham Forest... celebrate life here, get involved with the debate, produce mock film posters, postcards, prints, paintings or what you will.
For example, they've suggested local campaigns could translate their messages into art works: a film poster for "Withering Heights" from Fight the Height, a "wish you were here postcard" from the St James St library, a "where are they now" set of photos for all the closed and missing cinemas, etc.
Entries have to be ready for hanging on Friday the 5th of September, they must be in wooden frames with mirror plates. The exhibition will be in the indoor market in Wood St, where the "Inspired by William Morris Exhibition" was held last year. If you would like submit work or request further information drop an e-mail to exhibition@antiscrap.co.uk
So... if you feel inspired to contribute, whether for Fight The Height or with something else, drop them a line! We'd certainly love to see artists respond to the monstrous tower blocks planned for Walthamstow and the lack of council foresight that will see a multiplex and a giant Primark where locals want to see a reopened EMD and shops that compliment Walthamstow market and trigger real regeneration not corporate .
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Arcade hoardings take the mickey!
Look really closely at the artists' impression on the Arcade hoardings you can see a Bang & Olufsen shop (a very high-end hi-fi emporium - click on the picture above to see it bigger). Which stands in stark contrast to the planned Primark that we, and market traders, fear will put many stalls and smaller shops out of business - see the story below.
The devil is in the detail... The hoardings do say "This image is indicative and does not resember the final scheme" but we think the contrast between Bang & Olufsen and Primark shows how much St Modwen is taking the mickey out of Walthamstow.
The Arcade scheme was supposed to kick off regeneration. But we don't think a massive cheap clothes shop, a boarded up high street and decimated market sounds like regeneration. This planned tower block offers Walthamstow nothing that we want or need, but it threatens to damage what we already have.
If you agree, please join us at noon on Sunday 1st June in Walthamstow town square for a short demo against the tower block plans that promises to be fun for all the family.
Oh and many thanks to the resident who pointed this out - and the many of you who are constantly emailing in with relevant news, it's much appreciated!
Could Boris block the tower block?
It's well worth reading two stories from yesterday's Evening Standard: The towers that Boris could stop being built and Comment: credit crunch will dictate skyline. These explain that Boris is embracing the powers to veto planning permission that Ken gave himself, but intends to use them to overturn planned tower blocks all over London.
The interesting thing is that many of the 14 developments the Standard picks out as likely to be axed are barely taller than the ones we're facing in Walthamstow, on the Arcade site and at Blackhorse Lane. Could we be numbers 15 and 16?!
We're contacting Boris, and his new planning adviser Sir Simon Milton. And we'll let you know how we get on...
Monday, 19 May 2008
Developer buys Walthamstow Stadium
No prizes for guessing the site of the next piece of overdevelopment for Walthamstow... news reached us this weekend that the world famous Walthamstow Stadium dog track has been sold to a development consortium. See the Walthamstow Guardian story. The sale has been rumoured for years but the owners have long denied it. The track's tote board was listed by English Heritage last year... but now it looks like the stadium will be demolished and the tote board will no be surrounded by yet another high-rise housing development that no-one wants.
Friday, 16 May 2008
SAVE THE DATE! Sunday 1st June
Our first demo against the tower block plans will be daytime on Sunday 1st June in central Walthamstow.
More details to follow soon but please try to be available for a short, fun protest against the plans that should get us lots of publicity.
New to Fight The Height? Please click here to find out more about how and when you can object to the planned tower blocks that would overshadow low-rise Walthamstow, the planned Primark that would be a disaster for market traders, and the planned multiplex that would be the final nail in the coffin for the EMD/Granada cinema.
Meeting re: the giant telly
Next Tuesday (20th May) 7:30-9pm at Waltham Forest Theatre in Lloyd Park there will be a meeting about the giant telly - sorry, "live site" - proposed for the town square.
Sadly the meeting is only open to members of Apex Arts (the artists formerly known as Waltham Forest Arts Council). But... you can join on the night for a tenner, so if you're feeling a bit arty and you want to find out more about the plans and question the people behind them (about stuff like why does it have to be right next to the children's playground or why must it be on for 16 hours a day even when there isn't anything worth watching) then why not turn up and sign up!
Blackhorse Action Group social
It's not all doom and gloom, even when you're fighting several tower blocks - including one 23 storey monster! Tomorrow (Saturday 17th May) the fabulous Blackhorse Action Group are having a big social at Douglas Eyre Sports Pavilion, Coppermill Lane. Expect fun for all the family from 3pm, then a bat walk and grown-up entertainment from 7pm. See the Blackhorse Action Group website for more info - and see you there!
Sunday, 11 May 2008
"What can I do?!"
New to Fight The Height? Thanks for visiting! Here's how to get involved in the campaign against tower block plans in Walthamstow...
1. Join us! Please send a quick email to mail@fighttheheight.co.uk saying that you support us - we'll add you to our email list and keep you updated on actions, for example letting you know when to object to planning applications and when we are holding demonstrations.
2. Tell everyone! Please send a quick email to all your local friends and family and tell them about our campaign, giving them the website address. It's simple maths... if tens of thousands of people see this website, thousands will join the campaign and hundreds will send in objections at the right time. Being bombarded by hundreds of letters will make a HUGE difference to the councillors who make the decisions - and could be enough to save Walthamstow from tower block plans.
Friday, 9 May 2008
Could Boris's new man help us?!!!
According to this Evening Standard story (from 6th May) Boris Johnson has appointed Westminster Council leader Simon Milton to advise him on housing and planning... and Westminster is known for its opposition to tower blocks. Mr Milton will be hearing from us!
High rise: heaven or hell?
In this recent article from Star magazine, Bill Hodgson looks at the history of what went wrong with tower blocks. It's fascinating stuff... According to a recent survey by the Architecture Commission, less than one per cent of people would live by choice in a tower block. Which is why tower blocks are being torn down while others are being built! (like the one pictured, in Glasgow, being demolished last year).
Over to Bill for a history lesson...
The recent row between council leader Clyde Loakes and his deputy Keith Rayner over the role of tower blocks in public housing has re-opened a long running debate on the merits of high rise living. While Councillor Loakes believes new blocks could solve the borough’s potential housing shortage, his deputy argues such a move would repeat the costly mistakes of the past. The dispute erupted following the publication of research suggesting 12,000 homes must be built in Waltham Forest to accommodate a projected population increase of 20,000 people.
Click on "Read More" below to read the full article.
On the up
In May 1949 London’s first council housing tower block was opened in Holborn. A staggering 2,700 more would follow around the capital in the years ahead. The early blocks were inspired by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier who sought to solve the problem of overcrowded cities by building elegant ‘streets in the sky’ for socially diverse communities. “We must decongest our cities by increasing their density,” he said. “We must improve circulation and increase the amount of open spaces”. He envisaged residential towers with lavish communal roof gardens set amidst vibrant green spaces with transport freeways to ferry inhabitants to their workplaces.
His ideas were seized upon by councils across Britain, desperate to replace slum dwellings and re-house citizens made homeless during the Second World War. Le Corbusier’s vision seemed irresistible at a time when economical construction methods using prefabricated panels and concrete promised a brave new world for the urban dweller.
The early blocks offered spacious and well-appointed living space but it was not long before financial constraints forced compromises in both materials and dimensions. Le Corbusier’s emphasis on green spaces and public facilities was also sidelined in the rush to accommodate as many people as quickly and cheaply as possible.
The crowning glory of London high rise living emerged in the 1960s when the heavily bombed Cripplegate area provided the setting for the new Barbican Estate. An enormous concrete jungle softened by artificial lakes and networks of terraces and trees, the Barbican offered affordable accommodation for City workers with social housing available on the neighbouring Golden Lane Estate. “The intention is to create a residential precinct in which people can live both conveniently and with pleasure,” said chief architect Peter Chamberlin. “Despite its density the layout is spacious. The buildings and the space between them are composed to create a sense of order without monotony”. The project was perhaps closest to Le Corbusier’s intentions and the aspirations of the post-war planners. Ironically, as the Barbican prepared to welcome its first tenants, the reputation of British tower blocks was about to be dealt a fatal blow.
Disaster
The fall from grace of tower blocks began on 16 May 1968 in Newham when the newly opened 23-storey Ronan Point partially collapsed following a gas explosion, killing residents and causing chaos in the local area. Although blocks would continue to be built for housing throughout the 1970s, the disaster destroyed public confidence in their structural safety while reports of poor insulation, inadequate security and insect infestations further tarnished their appeal. Many blocks had also been hastily constructed at inconvenient out-of-town locations with little provision for transport, welfare or shopping which isolated them from the wider community. Problems with faulty elevators made them especially unpopular with the elderly, young families and disabled tenants. Meanwhile, poorly maintained and badly lit communal areas provided a breeding ground for petty crime which left many residents living in a climate of fear. The blocks were now firmly recast as ‘slums in the sky’, blighting the landscape and perpetuating the social problems they were designed to eradicate.
Widespread demolition of tower blocks began in the 1980s with mass removal programmes carried out around the country throughout the 1990s, echoing the post-war slum clearances which had preceded them.
When Labour swept to power in 1997, architect Richard Rogers was appointed to formulate a new model for urban living and social housing. Planning laws were introduced to encourage sustainable low rise developments of three to six storeys. Lord Rogers developed blueprints for human scale urban villages with a ‘ten minute walk rule’ to ensure residents would have easy access to shops and services.
Yet a select few tower blocks remained surprisingly resilient and would eventually inspire a cautious reassessment.
Rebirth
In the 1980s, Notting Hill’s Trellick Tower was London’s most notorious housing block. Stories concerning vicious rapes in dimly lit stairwells, children being attacked outside their homes by heroin addicts and squatters setting fire to flats made lurid newspaper headlines. The block’s fortunes were unexpectedly revived when ownership transferred to a tenant’s management organisation that introduced a range of improvements including a concierge, intercoms and CCTV. Crime dramatically fell and the block was boldly reinvented as an icon of urban cool. Now a mixture of private and social housing, it gained the ultimate seal of approval when English Heritage listed it. Tellingly, Trellick stands amidst some of the country’s most attractive Victorian housing and is a stone’s throw from the fashionable bustle of Portobello Market. Less than 10 minutes from the West End by tube, it makes a strong case for the viability of tower blocks situated in an already popular location.
Similarly, the Barbican Estate has confounded the sceptics and is now regarded as a stylish London address. “It is of special architectural interest for its scale, cohesion and ambition,” said former arts minister Tessa Blackstone. “It is much loved by residents and has earned itself a place in the hearts of Londoners”. Location has again played a major role in the Barbican’s appeal with one of the world’s greatest arts institutions on its doorstep and the City of London a gentle stroll away. Nowadays one bedroom apartments sell for £350,000, well beyond the reach of the average City worker for whom it was designed.
Nevertheless, one local housing expert warns these examples are not indicative of the bigger picture. “Despite a few notable exceptions, the overwhelming evidence is clear,” she said. “Exceeding five storeys does not work in the context of social housing. It is a proven recipe for disaster and shouldn’t even be considered”. She points to a recent survey by the Architecture Commission which found less than one per cent of people would live by choice in a tower block.
With much brownfield land earmarked for development in the neighbouring boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets and the government planning a massive expansion of London to the east via the multi-billion pound Thames Gateway project, perhaps councillors should really be debating whether Waltham Forest needs substantial extra housing at all.
Article reproduced courtesy of Star Magazine/The Lightside.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
How to object to the giant telly
We've had lots of emails (thank you!) about the giant telly planned for Walthamstow town square and asking for more details on how to object...
The deadline for objections is Monday 5 May. And seeing as that's a bank holiday it's probably best to send your objections by email, to Rachel.Jagger@walthamforest.gov.uk
Below are three links to Word documents that should help you draft your own objection. The first two are the official objections from Cleveland Park Residents' Association and Waltham Forest Civic Society. They go into lots of detail in terms of what's wrong with the current plans and the planning arguments against them. The third document is a template to make it easy for you to write your own objection letter/email. It basically says that you support the main points in the CPRA and WFCS objections and then gives room for you to add your own comments/points (which is important because the council will take your letter far more seriously if you personalise it). Enjoy!!!
CPRA objection letter
WFCS objection letter
Objectional letter to personalise
Friday, 25 April 2008
Arcade site: giant Primark spells disaster for Walthamstow Market
"Over 75,000sqft of new shops, cafes and restaurants" claim the new Arcade site hoardings this week... What they don't tell you is that more than two-thirds of that floor space is set to be a massive, two-storey Primark store that could spell disaster for the many Walthamstow Market traders whose livelihoods depend on selling clothes.
We were told directly by the developers St Modwen at a recent meeting that the development would include a 53,000sqft Primark store and just one other shop (10,000sqft), plus two restaurants (hmm, we're thinking fried chicken), an eight-screen cinema and probably a coffee shop.
We've contacted the Market Traders' Association and they agree that a huge Primark could be a nightmare for the many clothing stalls and also the countless clothes shops up and down the High Street.
Call this regeneration?
Remember, Waltham Forest council decided to redevelop the Arcade site specifically to kick off "regeneration". Does a massive cheap clothes shop, a boarded up high street and decimated market sound like regeneration to you?
By way of contrast, the previous developers Henry Boot were in negotiation with Marks & Spencer! It just goes to show what the council and St Modwen think of Walthamstow: the current plans for the Arcade site are literally "pile it high and sell it cheap".
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Giant telly planned for town square
Not a tall building, but still definitely an issue of height - the council's Olympics team are planning a giant telly for Walthamstow town square. And when we say giant, we mean HUGE, it's set to be approx 7m wide, 3m high and 3m off the ground. The one pictured here is a similar screen in Canary Wharf.
If it gets planning permission (which they have just applied for) the screen will be erected by August in time for the Beijing/London handover and then by a PERMANENT fixture, switched on and blasting out sound a minimum of 16 hours a day. What's more, it will back onto the children's playground!
To see the plans for yourself, and then object if you want to, visit the council's planning department (which is now at Sycamore House, tucked beside the town hall) and ask to see application 2008/0566/LA. We're encouraging people to object to the location (we think it'd be better placed against BHS's ugly side wall), noise issues and hours of use (surely it should only be switched on when there's something worth watching?!).
While you're at the planning office, you might also like to see 2008/0554, an application for a 5 storey block of flats in Tower Mews.
Click on the "Read more..." link below to see an aerial photo of the location proposed for the screen, to see for yourself that it's bigger than a double decker bus, and to find out what we can expect to see on the screen...
Where will it be? See the orange line on the aerial photo above (click on the photo if you want to see it bigger). The screen is planned for the grass beside the "stage" on the town square and, as you can see, would directly back on to the children's playground!
What will the screen show? Aside from lots of Olympics stuff, there will be programming from the BBC and also content within council control (which on the bright side could mean arts programming for local filmmakers and film groups... but could equally turn into an Orwellian TV version of the council's propaganda rag WFM). Oh and allegedly there will be no adverts. But the screens are sponsored by Lloyds TSB and the Olympics are sponsored by everyone, so presumably the telly will be awash with corporate logos all the same.
Here's one they regenerated earlier...
News reaches us of another grand "regeneration" project from St Modwen: the destruction of Farnborough town centre.
According to a detailed UK Indymedia article, Farnborough used to have a viable town centre, a large number of small independent businesses, many family owned, many had been in the town for 30 years a more (sound familiar?!). The town centre now lies derelict, little more than a ghost town. About ten years ago Farnborough town centre was bought by KPI (apparently a Kuwaiti-financed front-company for St Modwen). Last summer half the town centre was demolished. During the demolition and other work , the remaining shops have regularly had their services cut, electricity and telephones cut, access blocked. All of which has hit businesses. Within the last few months, more shops and businesses have pulled out or been driven out - the catalogue of local businesses lost according to the Indymedia story is quite tragic.
See the picture below for St Modwen's broken promises... No amount of pretty pictures on hoardings boasting the new shops coming to Farborough can disguise the fact that the town centre has lost all these local businesses - and that in the current financial climate there is no guarantee that the new shops will be built at all.
Join the fight to make sure this doesn't happen to Walthamstow town centre - please see the Join Us section at the top right of this page.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Arcade tower to grow?
As if 12-18 storeys wasn't high enough, at a Local Forum meeting last week, St Modwen's development director said that the tower block could be "one or two storeys higher".
When you consider that a 23-storey tower block is also plannned for Blackhorse Road, it looks like High Rise Walthamstow is getting higher by the minute...
St Modwen fail to get claws into Walthamstow Central
News just in... Kier Property beat St Modwen to the Walthamstow Central contract. See the story in Property Week
Read More......Tuesday, 8 April 2008
St Modwen in E17 land grab
St Modwen – the company planning to overshadow Walthamstow High Street with an 18-storey tower block – is one of three developers shortlisted by Network Rail to revamp Walthamstow Central station, according to Property Week.
It’s terrible news for residents fighting overdevelopment. As if the tower block plans that St Modwen and the council have cooked up for the Arcade site weren’t bad enough, the council has long hinted that the station and its car park could be the site of another major (and highrise) development, possibly containing a hotel or conference centre. They’ve even suggested that this could be built over the top of the overground station.
This amounts to a land grab by St Modwen. Friends of Queen’s Market campaigners, who are also fighting St Modwen, believe the property developers are currently trying to get a foothold in East London. If these plans for the Arcade and the station go ahead, they will land both their big boots into Walthamstow…
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Tower block plans hit house prices
Residents backing onto the Arcade site who recently had their flats surveyed were shocked to discover that they were worth £10,000 less thanks to the tower block plans.
This stands in stark contrast to the previous plans for redevelopment. When the council was working with developers on a seven-storey scheme, property experts told us that the area would be improved and prices would go up.
"I’m appalled that my flat is worth £10,000 less thanks to the development. I’m going to lose my view, my light, my privacy... and now a large sum of money,” said Carolyn Magson, whose garden will literally be overshadowed by the tower block.
“I’m sure values will be reduced,” said Philip Waterfield of surveyors Strettons, who blames the tower block but also market conditions. “Speaking personally, I wouldn’t want it at the bottom of my garden full stop!”
This council is hell bent on dropping skyscrapers into traditional low-rise areas. It could be your back garden next. This affects all residents in Waltham Forest, so if you don’t want your garden overshadowed or your house price to drop, please join our Fight The Height campaign – click on the Join Us link at the top right of this page.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
See the tower block plans for yourself
Want to see what's in store for the Arcade? The council and St Modwen aren't all that good at consultation. So most people haven't had the chance to see what's planned for the Arcade site. Fortunately, we've managed to get hold of a set of the presentation St Modwen put on display at their brief consultation event. It should give you a feel for the monstrosity planned for Walthamstow.
Click on the "Read more..." link below to see all of the initial plans.
Simply click on one of the pages if you want to see it big enough to read the words...
Page 1 Note how the tower block bit is hidden as much as possible!
Page 2 Ah, there's the tower block looming over low-rise Walthamstow.
Page 3 St Modwen shows that it understands the site's context. And then blatantly disregards it with plans that don't include the EMD and that overshadow the surrounding houses and street market!
Page 4 The immortal words "It's (sic) elegant form could be as high as 18 storeys".
Page 5 Design philosophy: "The investigate the opportunity to incorporate a landmark tall building". Developer speak for £££.
Page 6 Some waffle about how they can make their huge metal and glass tower block sustainable by putting a bit of grass on the roof of one bit.
Page 7 Interesting they flag up Edmonton Green Shopping Centre, which locals tell us has been the kiss of death to their own street market.
Page 8 What happens next? If you don't want to see this 18-storey tower block in Walthamstow then get involved with Fight The Height!
Page 9 "Your views contribute"? The brief consultation has been and gone. Your only official chance to get involved now is with the planning application. But it's crucial that residents unite to tell the council and St Modwen that this tower block is not welcome...
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
IPPF: Council says the sky's the limit!
We’ve noticed something of HUGE importance about the council’s IPPF document. It fails to set any limits on building heights!
This is shocking, considering that this is the document that is meant to take the key findings of the Prince’s Foundation’s consultation and turn them into local planning policy. And their consultation had concluded that the tallest new buildings in central Walthamstow should be no higher than 6-8 storeys. (The Prince’s Foundation were excluded from commenting on height for the Arcade site, but that’s another story.)
So… if you haven’t yet commented on the IPPF then please click here to do so – and please be sure to say that it must include area maps that set limits on building heights and densities, based on the Prince’s Foundation’s findings.
See our other IPPF story below for more on what we think of this important council document. Note: the deadline for commenting is this Friday (the 4th).
Here’s what we could have won
3W, the architects for one of the Arcade schemes that didn’t get chosen by the council, have put their designs online. It’s well worth taking a look at them.
What’s striking is that the building 3W proposed, at half the height of the one St Modwen have planned, is clearly more than tall enough to work as a “landmark building” – i.e. you can see it for flipping miles and it towers over its surroundings.
It’s an interesting illustration of what a fairly tall building would look like on the site. Just think what a ludicrously tall building would be like! More proof that the 18-storey plan St Modwen has proposed doesn’t bear thinking about.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Please comment on the council's IPPF
The IPPF is a planning document that lays out the council’s vision of what Walthamstow will be like for the next 20 years or so. It says what developers can and can’t do in the area – and what bits are likely to be redeveloped. In short, it’s about the most important document you’re likely to see in some time. And once it’s accepted, it will be much more difficult to argue about a new building on your doorstep, or dramatic changes to the town, if they fit with the IPPF.
So we’re asking everyone, please, to take a look at it. We know it looks a bit boring and dull. But it is very important – read it, and respond to it with your objections by 4 April. We’re not planning experts, but if you have any questions that aren’t answered by the council (or you don’t want to ask them, but do want to ask us), email us at mail@fighttheheight.co.uk and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Don't leave it to the politicians to decide what happens in Walthamstow. Please read the IPPF and then make sure you get your objections to this document in by 4th April 2008 to Sam Neal.
In case it helps, these are the things that most concern us (just click on "read more" below). If you think we’ve missed anything, please get in touch urgently!
1. The council ominously hasn’t included housing targets for the “Central” area of Walthamstow. The area that to the council represents “a prime opportunity to increase housing and commercial provision” includes not only the High Street/Hoe Street junction, town square, The Mall, bus and tube station etc. but also residential streets including Cleveland Park Avenue, Westbury Road, Eastfield Road and Priory Avenue. There is no protection in the IPPF to keep these roads as they are. They’re key to Walthamstow’s Victorian, low-rise character. Also, despite more housing planned throughout central Walthamstow, there’s no mention in the IPPF of extra schools, playgrounds or open space.
2. The IPPF talks about a mix of uses and mix of housing for the area. But there are no targets for what mix we’d end up with. We currently have too few family houses and way too many fast food chicken outlets. The IPPF needs proper, enforceable targets for housing and usage mix to deal with problems like these.
3. There’s lots in the IPPF about how new developments should be “compatible with” or “improve their surroundings”, should be “maintained to a high level” etc. How will a council that doesn’t water the grass on the Town Square Gardens during summer keep developers to vague promises like that? We want the council to set a good example and ensure that all of its property in the town centre is maintained “to a high level”, and we want the council to exert pressure on existing landowners and tenants to improve their properties. We also want all ideals, such as those above, to be backed up with enforceable targets and plans to achieve those targets. Otherwise the IPPF is set to be just a load of hot air.
4. Why is the Arcade site still excluded from the IPPF? On the drawings it is included as part of Central area. Yet it is not mentioned anywhere. The council cannot maintain that the Arcade site precedes this framework, as the framework is here, but the Arcade site hasn’t had a planning application yet. The IPPF should include the Arcade site. And the Arcade site’s height should be in keeping with what The Prince’s Foundation/the IPPF recommends for the rest of Walthamstow.
5. This council is poor at consulting residents. Biased questionnaires lead to results that are kept secret and findings that are ignored. For example, the Prince’s Foundation consultation found residents overwhelmingly against highrise development; yet that’s exactly what we’re seeing in central Walthamstow. Consultation is currently a waste of money. We’d like the IPPF to formally ensure that the council must not only consult the residents of Walthamstow about its plans for the town centre, but then actually listen to and act on their concerns.
Fight The Height launches!
Do read the news story about us in the Walthamstow Guardian. And please be sure to email all your friends and family about Fight The Height. Today it's 18 storeys for the Arcade site. Tomorrow it could be a tower block overshadowing your street...
[Many thanks to the Walthamstow Guardian for the use of the photo. It was taken by David Edwards and is copyright Newsquest]
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
IPPF story coming soon...
Shape council policy that will affect Walthamstow town centre for years to come with the Interim Planning Policy Framework (IPPF). Don't leave it to the politicians to decide what happens in Walthamstow. Make sure you get your objections to this document in by 4th April 2008 to Sam Neal.
Housing targets gone mad!
We'll post here soon with our full response to the IPPF. But, for starters, look at the housing targets on pages 22-25. The council reckons the High Street/Town Square area alone could get an extra 1,140 new homes. The Central area (including the Arcade site) is also "a prime opportunity to increase housing"; ominously it doesn't even get a number to go with that, so presumably we're talking zillions of flats. And yet they say the West End area (that's west of Palmerston Road, north of the High Street) needs "residential and community developments, in keeping with the existing residential nature and physical scale of the area. It is considered a total of approximately 70 homes could be generated."
We agree with that... but doesn't it also apply to other areas in central Walthamstow? The High Street and the side roads running off it are all typically two- and three-storey, often Victorian, buildings. If you don't want a high rise block landing in your back garden; if you think Walthamstow shouldn't be overdeveloped and overshadowed, then you know what to do... Read and comment on the IPPF by the 4th April.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
What do we want then?
It's all too easy to take a pop at the plans for an Arcade tower block without putting anything constructive forward as an alternative. So here are some thoughts on what the residents of Walthamstow want in its place:
A development
First and foremost, we do think the Arcade site is ripe for an appropriate development that has the right physical impact on the local area and offers Walthamstow something different. We don't think the site should be turned into a park - we have a park next to the town square. And we don't think it should be left as rubble. But we'd rather it sat as rubble for a couple more years than an unsuitable development be built and sit there for decades!
Height that fits
Previous plans were a maximum height of 7 storeys on the corner of Hoe Street and the High Street. And the Prince's Foundation say 6 to 8 storeys should be the max elsewhere in central Walthamstow. If the council hadn't forbidden them from including the Arcade in their report, we believe they would have recommended a maximum of 6 to 8 storeys for the Arcade too.
A low-rise development with a landmark tower on the corner of no more than 8 storeys sounds reasonable.
Shops not chain stores
We need to think carefully about what Walthamstow could and should offer residents and visitors over the coming years. For example, with the huge Stratford City development just down the road - a shopping destination that will be bigger than Bluewater and Lakeside combined - is there really any point in trying to be yet another me-too High Street offering the same shops as everywhere else?
The council can't wait to open E17's doors to the Starbucks, Pizza Expresses and Navarros of the world. But we think their arrival would just be the kiss of death to our home-grown VK, Mon Dragone and The Windmill. Is that really what we want?
See the New Economics Foundation's report into Clone Town Britain for more on how me-too high streets have killed the vitality and identity of towns all over the country.
Something different
What does St Modwen have in mind for the shoppers of Walthamstow? Primark! No, really, they're in negotiations to be the key retailer in the new development. Now, we're not trying to be snobby. We've got nothing against cheap clothes. We wear cheap clothes! It's just that Walthamstow isn't short of cheap clothes. There are plenty of cheap clothes shops in The Mall and up and down the High Street. And the market has plenty of cheap clothes stalls. If this new development is supposed to be a landmark building that kickstarts regenerations, shouldn't it aspire to give us something new?
Something creative
Countless great ideas came out of our public meeting about the future of Walthamstow, including linking to the EMD cinema, some green/public space, performance/display space, community space, and small shops, bars and restaurants rather than chains. Read more about the ideas that came out of the meeting.
Real community involvement
We want the politicians and planners to start over. And this time to genuinely sit down with Walthamstow residents and let the community decide together what belongs on the site. Sadly the council recently did a big consultation exercise with the Prince's Foundation, but the council excluded the Arcade from the consultation - sad because it's the one site that urgently needed it!
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