Category: Planning

London Mayor and Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith both promise to protect our green spaces

~ admin

Dear Save Shirley residents,

We are committed to keep up the pressure on the decision makers who can influence what’s going on in our area. That includes Boris Johnson and mayoral candidates Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan.

Sadiq Khan won’t respond to any of our questions or invitations to come and talk to the people of Shirley. However, Zac has…

Following an invitation to visit the area and see for himself the devastating effect the Croydon Local Plan will have on Shirley, Zac put his money where his mouth is and attended a meeting with Save Shirley campaigners.

Zac’s visit to Shirley was reported in the Croydon Advertiser. If you missed it click here to read the full story.

Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate for London Mayor returned to Croydon for a general meeting this week with residents from across the borough organised by Gavin Barwell MP.

Zac addressed residents for 10 minutes and then opened the floor for questions. During the lively debate, Zac confirmed his promise to the Save Shirley and MORA that if elected in May he will protect London’s green belt.

Boris Johnson #PQT

We recently attended Boris Johnson’s People’s Question Time when it came to Croydon Fairfield Halls on Thursday 3 March 2016.

The all ticket event, held twice a year, gives Londoners the chance to quiz the mayor and London Assembly members on topics including housing, transport and community safety.

Save Shirley attended with Sony Nair, MORA Chairman. He asked Boris and the panel for a response in relation to proposals to intensify Shirley by knocking down residential homes and replacing them with high rise blocks of flats and building new homes on our green spaces:

“I would like to understand the GLAs position on Croydon’s Local Plans for intensification of residential areas that will wreck neighbourhoods and build on green spaces when there is plenty of brownfield sites that are suitable for development.”

In his response, The Mayor of London said although it is a Croydon Council matter he “will very much disagree” with their plans to build on Croydon’s green spaces.

Steve O’Connell, our Assembly Member, chaired the event.

To watch Boris answer Sony’s question, tune in at Save Shirley TV

Or read more at www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Mayor-London-disagree-Croydon-Council-proposals

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter for all the latest updates @ShirleySave or check out the website www.saveshirley.co.uk

Council granting outline planning permission for high-rise block of flats in Orchard Avenue is politically motivated

~ admin

Address: 
40 Orchard Avenue, Croydon, CR0 7NA

Proposal:
Demolition of an existing dwelling; erection of a three storey building with basement containing 8 two bedroom flats; formation of associated access and parking

Dear Save Shirley residents

Tell us the intensification of Shirley isn’t politically motivated.

On Thursday night six councillors voted to allow a detached residential home be demolished and in it’s place a high-rise block of flats.

However, we believe the Planning Committee did not judge the application on current planning policies, but on a prejudiced and vindictive rebellion against the Shirley Residents and a further assault on the character of the area.

We believed this is a direct response to the ‘Save Shirley’ campaign and our objection to the proposed Croydon Plan CLP2.

This application was not determined upon the current Planning Policies. It’s out of character with the area and shows a total disregard for the character of the area and surrounding properties in Shirley.

Worryingly, this will now set a precedent for the destruction of Shirley.

All six councillors are Labour. Their details are below. we urge you to email them to demonstrate how disappointed we are that the people in charge of Croydon’s planning applications make their decisions based on political point scoring.

Dear, Cllr [Insert name]

Ref: 15/05247/P

We object to the Planning Committee voting in favour of granting outline planning permission for 40 Orchard Avenue in Shirley.

We believe the Planning Committee did not judge the application on current planning policies, but on a prejudiced and vindictive rebellion against the Shirley Residents and the character of the area.

This application was not determined upon the current planning policies. It’s out of character with the area and shows a total disregard for the surrounding properties in Shirley.

We ask you to reconsider the application based on current planning policies adopted by the Planning Inspectorate.

Kind regards,

The members of the Planning Committee who voted in favour of the outline planning application were:

Cllr Paul Scott (Chairman) (Woodside)
paul.scott@croydon.gov.uk

Cllr Maddie Henson (Ashburton)
maddie.henson@croydon.gov.uk or tweet @MinsuR

Cllr Bernadette Khan (West Thornton)
bernadette.khan@croydon.gov.uk

Cllr Sherwan Chowdhury (Norbury Ward)
sherwan.chowdhury@croydon.gov.uk or tweet @SherwanCroydon

Cllr Jamie Audsley (Bensham Manor)
jamie.audsley@croydon.gov.uk or tweet @JamieAudsley

Cllr Humayun Kabir (Bensham Manor)
humayun.kabir@croydon.gov.uk

Save Shirley is a non-political campaign created by residents and MORA (Monks Orchard Residents’ Association). It’s backed by seven Shirley residents’ associations to oppose this current administrations politically motivated plan to wreck our residential neighbourhood.

Our fight goes on.

We would like to thank MORA member Lianne for speaking against the proposal at the planning meeting. Also to the Shirley residents that filled out the Public Gallery. You made sure our united voice of objection was heard. Thank you for your continued support.

Save Shirley
www.saveshirley.co
Follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/ShirleySave

Shirley residents out in force

~ admin

IMG_1031

Croydon Town Hall was overwhelmed on Monday night with more than 450 Shirley residents to hear the Save Shirley petition of more than 3,600 signatures presented to the council and the debate that followed.

Our intention was to be heard, and we certainly did that. Cllr Tony (concrete) Newman, Leader of the council told the Croydon Advertiser: “I believe residents have legitimate concerns.”

So, thank you to all of you who queued down Katherine Street. The meeting was delayed by 20 minutes as council officials struggled to set up screens and speakers so everyone who had arrived for the meeting could watch the webcast and lively public debate.

And it went downhill from there, with the meeting being suspended by 15 minutes as Croydon CEO, Nathan Elvery and the Mayor left the meeting amidst utter chaos. There blatant bias culminated in the refusal to allow a vote. It’s obvious that there is no such thing as democracy in Croydon Council.

Save Shirley and MORA have called for a public meeting with Cllr Newman on the proposals, but he said he will not agree to this until the outcome of the public consultation on the proposals has been published.

We are not prepared to wait that long. So we’re starting to build momentum and have a few more things up our sleeves, but we still have a long way to go.

So we’d appreciate if you’d email him at tony.newman@croydon.gov.uk urging him to accept our invitation and keep the pressure on.

There will be more articles in the press. Croydon Advertiser has already published a couple of articles online already about the event:

http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Mayor-suspends-council-meeting-amid-row-vote/story-28601448-detail/story.html

http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Save-Shirley-campaigners-overwhelm-town-hall/story-28606260-detail/story.html

Then on Tuesday morning Save Shirley was invited for a TV interview on the London Live Breakfast Show, our local MP, Gavin Barwell, attended this.

It’s about 4mins in length, but the interview has also been posted online. http://www.londonlive.co.uk/news/2016-01-26/croydon-council-meeting-met-with-angry-crowds-over-development-plans

If you want to watch the meeting webcast, it’s available on catch-up now: http://www.croydon.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/207280

If you would like to read the speech Dave Greenwood presented you can download a PDF copy here.

www.saveshirley.co and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/ShirleySave

#SaveShirley

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Council meeting – We need your support

~ admin

Tomorrow night (Monday 25 January) at the Council meeting is a BIG opportunity for Shirley Residents to force Croydon’s councillors to rethink their plans.

If we don’t change their minds they will concrete over where we live and replace our houses with 4-storey blocks of flats, build gypsy/traveller sites in the Green Belt, allow housing on our precious green spaces and back gardens and completely change the character of Shirley.

We have a fight on our hands. This is why we need to pack the public gallery with residents and make as much noise as possible.

Meet us outside the Council Chamber at 5.45, Town Hall, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR0 1NX. The meeting starts at 6.30.

Thank you

Save Shirley is backed by the following residents’ associations
MORA (Monks Orchard Residents’ Association), Shirley Oaks Village, Spring Park (SPRA), Shrublands, Bishops Walk and Shirley Hills.

www.saveshirley.co
#SaveShirley

Save Shirley – Council Meeting 25 January

~ admin

Dear neighbour

Due to your support and signing the Save Shirley petition, we will be presenting the Save Shirley objections to the Croydon Local Plan on Monday 25 January 2016 at the Council meeting.

Now we need your support again. We need hundreds of you to fill the meeting and get vocal about our local area.

Come and join us. We will be meeting outside the Council Chamber at 5.45pm, and will be letting Croydon Councillors know exactly what we think about their plans.

So, please bring friends, families, neighbours and banners. But most importantly bring yourselves and your voices. We need to be heard.

Here are the details of the meeting:
The Council Chamber
Town Hall
Katharine Street
Croydon,
CR0 1NX

Below is our objection to the plans:
We call on Croydon Council to drop its demands for Shirley. We oppose the intensification associated with the gradual change of the area’s local character, de-designation of Metropolitan Open Land around Shirley, Gypsy Traveller Sites and development on garden land.

Full details of the meeting are available on the Council website – item 7
https://secure.croydon.gov.uk/akscroydon/users/public/admin/kab14.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=33&cmte=COU&grpid=public&arc=1

For campaign news and updates:
www.saveshirley.co