Nemesis
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Tonight - Channel 4 7.30, the BEEB at 8,00.
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Garden grabbing on TV
- Thread starter Nemesis
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DaveBrigg
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Saw the Beeb one. Interesting to hear Ken Livingstone's take that gardens should not be classed as brownfield sites, London has enough derelict land for building for the next 20 years without needing to use greenfield, and that housebuilding in this country is controlled by a cartel who have plenty of land banked away, but only develop a bit at a time to artificially reduce supply and inflate prices. The footage from Germany shows what can be done with a little imagination.
Matt Green's Channel 4 programme was heartbreaking -
A local government spokesman stating that an oak ring (one of only two in the country, apparently) had "no value" and should be removed to make way for a giant Asda + car-park;
The lovely 100-year-old allotment site that Ken insisted should be 'relocated' to make way for a path that would only be used for the four weeks of the Olympics; and another site that would make way for yet more housing.
A local government spokesman stating that an oak ring (one of only two in the country, apparently) had "no value" and should be removed to make way for a giant Asda + car-park;
The lovely 100-year-old allotment site that Ken insisted should be 'relocated' to make way for a path that would only be used for the four weeks of the Olympics; and another site that would make way for yet more housing.
Nemesis
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I'm afraid what is going on for the Olympics is pretty grim, conservation wise, and Ken L speaks with forked tongue at times.
http://www.england-in-particular.info/particular/e-case1-4.html
http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/node/414
The part I enjoyed was Housing Minister Yvette Cooper spouting rubbish in the most aggressive manner in her Estuary English while cameras cut away to shots of the destruction she was adamant was not being wreaked were shown.
I'm currently engaged in a small battle in our local town over something similar.
DCC meeting Wednesday to decide if a listed wall (I had to make a fuss to get it acknowledged by the local authority that the wall is listed, and that LBC is required, taking into account the provisions of PPG15) can be further demolished in order that the development of not very attractive blocks of flats (in the conservation area, in the setting/garden/mediaeval burgage plot of a listed building) can go ahead. The wall is partly demolished with the consent of the Conservation Officer, in order that all the trees on site, many with TPO's on them, which were illegally felled could be removed using heavy machinery. There is to be no action taken regarding the tree felling. The wall needs to be demolished and be rebuilt further back (which the Conservation Officer considers is fine - conservation by demolition...re-use of the stone you see is conservation...) in order to get safe vehicular access on to the development. Without that, Highways would say no. The local authority has bent over backwards to try to facilitate this developement, despite major objections from English Heritage, SAVE, the Town Council, and local residents. Permission has already been given, until we raised the small issue of the listed wall, which has delayed matters. I have no doubt it will all eventually go ahead.
The local authority is scared to say no as the developers will simply appeal - more work, and public expense, with the possibilty of the local authority losing. I have pointed out that if they go against national policy then there may well be a call-in...
So for all Yvette Cooper's mouthing off in the press and on TV, the laws and planning policies which are supposed to protect places in fact don't. And why? Because of the requirement to build more houses, so conservation is bottom of the heap.
It's considered brownfield land. And gardens are so much easier to build on than derelict factory sites.
There are other developments going on on the edge of town, it's hardly as though this one is vital. But it will be very lucrative. The local authority is now insisting that there is some element of 'affordable housing there, although quite how 'affordable' it will be remains to be seen.
http://www.england-in-particular.info/particular/e-case1-4.html
http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/node/414
The part I enjoyed was Housing Minister Yvette Cooper spouting rubbish in the most aggressive manner in her Estuary English while cameras cut away to shots of the destruction she was adamant was not being wreaked were shown.
I'm currently engaged in a small battle in our local town over something similar.
DCC meeting Wednesday to decide if a listed wall (I had to make a fuss to get it acknowledged by the local authority that the wall is listed, and that LBC is required, taking into account the provisions of PPG15) can be further demolished in order that the development of not very attractive blocks of flats (in the conservation area, in the setting/garden/mediaeval burgage plot of a listed building) can go ahead. The wall is partly demolished with the consent of the Conservation Officer, in order that all the trees on site, many with TPO's on them, which were illegally felled could be removed using heavy machinery. There is to be no action taken regarding the tree felling. The wall needs to be demolished and be rebuilt further back (which the Conservation Officer considers is fine - conservation by demolition...re-use of the stone you see is conservation...) in order to get safe vehicular access on to the development. Without that, Highways would say no. The local authority has bent over backwards to try to facilitate this developement, despite major objections from English Heritage, SAVE, the Town Council, and local residents. Permission has already been given, until we raised the small issue of the listed wall, which has delayed matters. I have no doubt it will all eventually go ahead.
The local authority is scared to say no as the developers will simply appeal - more work, and public expense, with the possibilty of the local authority losing. I have pointed out that if they go against national policy then there may well be a call-in...
So for all Yvette Cooper's mouthing off in the press and on TV, the laws and planning policies which are supposed to protect places in fact don't. And why? Because of the requirement to build more houses, so conservation is bottom of the heap.
It's considered brownfield land. And gardens are so much easier to build on than derelict factory sites.
There are other developments going on on the edge of town, it's hardly as though this one is vital. But it will be very lucrative. The local authority is now insisting that there is some element of 'affordable housing there, although quite how 'affordable' it will be remains to be seen.