Windmill Trading Estate
The planning inquiry for Windmill has been adjourned till the New Year, after the inquiry failed to finish in the allotted four days. I have yet to be given the date when the inquiry in January will it reconvene as the planning officer has been away but I'll post it on this blog when I know the date.
Hopefully when the decision comes it will uphold the Council decision, the Windmill applicationhas been a major issue in my ward and hopefully the inspector has listened to the view of local residents. I also note in the below article that the devlopers "have listened carefully to comments and ideas from local residents and organisations over the past months", if they had then they would be not be proceeding with their plan as locally their is nearly universial local oppostion to the propsed developement.
I enclose the story in this week's Wimbledon Guardian below.
‘We don’t need another estate’
By Diana Pilkington
Comment
Angry residents opposing proposals for a £50million development will have to wait until next year to see if the "lunatic" plans are approved.
Controversial proposals to replace the run-down Windmill Trading Estate on the edge of Mitcham Common with 212 homes and additional employment units were the subject of a four-day planning inquiry last week, after the application was twice refused by Merton Council.
As the inquiry was not fully heard in the allotted time, it is set to recommence in late January.
Merton Council received more than 300 letters from residents slamming the plans when the proposals were first lodged more than 19 months ago.
Pat Gluska, 60, of Walton Way, said: "This is a lunatic development dumped in the middle of Mitcham Common.
"Mitcham needs to be regenerated by bringing employment into the area. Business is what regenerates, not building flats and dumping people in the middle of the common. This area has little or no work to offer residents already living here.
"The Windmill Trading Estate is historically employment land, not residential. There have been a lot of big housing developments planned for Mitcham - it doesn't need another one."
Martin Whelton, ward councillor for Pollards Hill, said: "The site overlooks an environmentally-sensitive area on Mitcham Common.
"With blocks of flats five storeys high, it is cramming far too many flats into one small area.
"This has been a long-running saga in my ward for the past three years and hopefully when the planning inspectorate delivers his report next year he will uphold the decision of the council in turning down this application."
Merton Council previously turned down the proposals on account of the job losses that would result from the new development, but the developers have since amended their plans.
Paul Kempe, of Industrial Holdings Fund, said: "We have listened carefully to comments and ideas from local residents and organisations over the past months and have reduced the size of the development.
"It will provide a balanced community of 212 much-needed homes and also create new jobs for local people. We envisage some residents will want to both live and work at Windmill Park, bringing a reduction in traffic, noise and pollution.
"At the moment Merton is behind its housing targets, set by the Greater London Authority. These homes will help meet this target."
Hopefully when the decision comes it will uphold the Council decision, the Windmill applicationhas been a major issue in my ward and hopefully the inspector has listened to the view of local residents. I also note in the below article that the devlopers "have listened carefully to comments and ideas from local residents and organisations over the past months", if they had then they would be not be proceeding with their plan as locally their is nearly universial local oppostion to the propsed developement.
I enclose the story in this week's Wimbledon Guardian below.
‘We don’t need another estate’
By Diana Pilkington
Comment
Angry residents opposing proposals for a £50million development will have to wait until next year to see if the "lunatic" plans are approved.
Controversial proposals to replace the run-down Windmill Trading Estate on the edge of Mitcham Common with 212 homes and additional employment units were the subject of a four-day planning inquiry last week, after the application was twice refused by Merton Council.
As the inquiry was not fully heard in the allotted time, it is set to recommence in late January.
Merton Council received more than 300 letters from residents slamming the plans when the proposals were first lodged more than 19 months ago.
Pat Gluska, 60, of Walton Way, said: "This is a lunatic development dumped in the middle of Mitcham Common.
"Mitcham needs to be regenerated by bringing employment into the area. Business is what regenerates, not building flats and dumping people in the middle of the common. This area has little or no work to offer residents already living here.
"The Windmill Trading Estate is historically employment land, not residential. There have been a lot of big housing developments planned for Mitcham - it doesn't need another one."
Martin Whelton, ward councillor for Pollards Hill, said: "The site overlooks an environmentally-sensitive area on Mitcham Common.
"With blocks of flats five storeys high, it is cramming far too many flats into one small area.
"This has been a long-running saga in my ward for the past three years and hopefully when the planning inspectorate delivers his report next year he will uphold the decision of the council in turning down this application."
Merton Council previously turned down the proposals on account of the job losses that would result from the new development, but the developers have since amended their plans.
Paul Kempe, of Industrial Holdings Fund, said: "We have listened carefully to comments and ideas from local residents and organisations over the past months and have reduced the size of the development.
"It will provide a balanced community of 212 much-needed homes and also create new jobs for local people. We envisage some residents will want to both live and work at Windmill Park, bringing a reduction in traffic, noise and pollution.
"At the moment Merton is behind its housing targets, set by the Greater London Authority. These homes will help meet this target."
posted by Martin Whelton at 9:53 pm
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