Grove Park Planning Application

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CUT AND PASTE FROM JUST BELOW HERE ……… DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

Name

Address

Any other contact details

RBWM Planning Department

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing regarding the following two planning applications:

1.     24/01020/CLAMA - change of use of the ground floor and first floor from Offices (Class E) to residential (Class C3) for 15no. dwellings at Beechwood, Grove Business Park

2.     24/00977/CLAMA - change of use of the ground floor from Offices (Class E) to residential (Class C3) for 1no. studio and 4no. two bedroom dwellings at Ashwood House, Grove Business Park

The Borough Council determined in 2021 that prior approval was not required for the development in these two buildings (see 21/02405/CLASSO and 21/02357/CLASSO), but with the following clear condition:

“The development shall be completed within a period of 3 years starting with the prior approval date. If it is not completed by this date it does not benefit from permitted development and will require planning permission.”

The applications above seek to renew the decision but this would be in clear contravention of the condition the council put in place. They should also be viewed in the wider context of all developments at Grove Park – this includes the demolishing of existing buildings to create 79 dwellings; the potential conversion of Grove House from office space to residential use (as previously agreed in 21/02403/CLASSO). Taken together, these four developments potentially provide an additional 114 dwellings and fundamentally change the nature of the village.

I therefore object to both applications and request that the development go through the planning process in order to assess the extent to which it conforms with the Local Borough Plan, in particular:

Policy QP1 Sustainability and Placemaking

1.     All new developments should positively contribute to the places in which they are located.

2.     Larger developments (over 10 residential units) in particular will be expected to:

a.     Provide a harmonious, integrated mix of uses, where appropriate, that foster a sense of community, vibrancy and activity,

b.     Contribute to the provision of social, natural, transport and utility infrastructure to support communities,

c.      Be designed to facilitate and promote community interaction through the provision of:

                                 I.         walkable neighbourhoods; and

                                II.         Attractive public spaces and facilities and routes which encourage walking and cycling;

d.     Create places that foster active healthy lifestyles;

e.     Be of high quality design that fosters a sense of place and contributes to a positive place identity

f.      Foster biodiversity and enhancement of green infrastructure;

g.     Conserve and enhance the importance of the existing blue character of the Borough (including the River Thames and other watercourses)

h.     Conserve and enhance the Borough’s rich historic environment

3.     Proposals for sites bringing forward developments of 100+ net new dwellings…will be expected to be in conformity with the adopted stakeholder master plan for the site.

Policy HO3 Affordable Housing

1.     The Council will require all developments for 10 dwellings gross, or more than 1,000 sq. m of residential floorspace, to provide on-site affordable housing in accordance with the following:

a)     On greenfield sites providing up to 500 dwellings gross - 40% of the total number of units proposed on the site;

b)     On all other sites, (including those over 500 dwellings) – 30% of the total number of units

 Policy ED2 Protected Employment Sites

1.     The BLP will retain sites for economic use and employment as defined on the Policies Map

v.      The sites below are defined on the Policies Map as Established Employment sites in the Green Belt:

f.  Grove Park, Business Park, White Waltham, Mixed Uses

6. For all sites a ‘nil net loss’ of commercial floor space principle will apply.

8.9.6 The Council intends to introduce Article 4 directions, withdrawing permitted development rights to convert offices to homes as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,