Category: Planning

Planning Report – September 2019

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To find out the latest news on what is being planned in your local area, check out our latest Planning Report with up-to-date information on Planning Applications including developments in:

  • Fairhaven Avenue
  • Lorne Avenue
  • Land to the Rear of Shirley Inn Public House
  • Orchard Avenue
  • Wickham Road
  • Woodmere Avenue and Woodmere Close.

With additional updates on our Planning Complaints; questions to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and contributions from Sarah Jones MP – Shadow Housing Minister.

Also, take a look at the MORA Planning App, which gives you an easy way to track all the current and recent planning applications within the MORA area. It’s simple to use and free for you to access.

Ashburton Playing Fields ParkLife Proposal

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Croydon Council have now put information and documentation about the Ashburton Playing Fields development on the projects dedicated webpage:

https://www.croydon.gov.uk/parklife

There is a Q&A document to address some of the question already put to them. It also provides a form that anyone can use to feedback on the proposals. They will be updating the site regularly as the schemes progress.

Features of the proposal:

  • 2x Floodlit artificial Football pitches.
  • New Children’s play and landscaping.
  • Improved foot and cycle paths across the playing fields.
  • New community pavilion (including cafe, terrace, small fitness gym, changing rooms and community spaces).
  • Dedicated car parking.

Ashburton Playing Fields drawing and features for release 16-07-18

Dates in August are being finalised for when they will exhibit the proposals and provide an opportunity for residents to drop in and discuss the plans. We will confirm once they have those dates established. They are also working towards presenting the scheme to planning committee on August 16th 2018 as part of their Pre-App programme. We understand they are aiming to submit  planning application for September 2018.

All residents will still have the opportunity to object or comment during a consultation period when a Planning Application is presented and validated by Development Management.

Please do share and inform neighbours/friends of this information so they have the opportunity to feedback.

Useful Links:

Ashburton Playing Fields Development

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A scheme has been proposed for development of two artificial football pitches on the Woodmere Avenue end of Ashburton Playing Fields.

Initial views and perspective from Shirley North Councillors (Cllr Sue Bennett, Cllr Richard Chatterjee and Cllr Gareth Streeter) have been outlined in this document.

Details of the document are outlined below, and in addition points from our MORA Planning Specialist…

Summary view:

  • The scheme itself will provide benefits for Croydon as a whole and significantly increase access to superior sporting facilities for teams across the borough
  • Some of the additional facilities – such as a gym and a possible café – might also be attractive to some in the wider community
  • However, our initial view is that the benefits of the scheme will not be ones that appeal to its proposed immediate neighbours – the residents of Woodmere Avenue and other nearby residents.
  • The scheme would however, present potentially significant challenges to residents such as loss of view, closing off of MOL, light/noise pollution and increased traffic.
  • As such, it is highly unlikely that the Shirley North team of councillors would feel able to support the scheme without significant and substantial changes

Scheme details:

The current understanding is that the scheme would consist of the following:

  • 2 x artificial pitches
  • Changing rooms
  • Community room
  • Car parking
  • Small community gym

There is also the potential for a community café although it is not currently clear if that would be an additional facility of located in the community room.

The initial funding for the project would come from the Football Foundation (Premier League) and would be run as a commercial venture. The London Football Trust would give / sell the long lease (25 years) to a contractor to run.

Site location:

The site would occupy 5 hectares of land (currently classified as MOL) at the corner of Woodmere Avenue. The map below details where the site will go (NOTE: this map has been constructed by the Councillors based on a verbal briefing and has not been provided by the officers behind the scheme):

Ashburton Playing Fields Development Proposed Location

Potential problems / risks / concerns

  • Closing off of MOL (there would be fencing surrounding the site)
  • Flood lighting on the pitches and potential light pollution
  • Noise pollution
  • Road access from Woodmere Avenue would be created
  • Increased traffic down Woodmere Avenue and surrounding roads (Orchard Avenue / Glade / Gladeside and others)
  • Risk of on-street parking issues despite presence of car park
  • Loss of view for some Woodmere Avenue residents
  • Loss of privacy – particularly depending on how vehicle access is managed
  • High risk of significant change of character

Issues highlighted by MORA Planning Specialist

  • Loss of MOL (We are looking into the Planning Policies for development on MOL)
  • Noise nuisance from football fans of playing clubs
  • Local parking problems
    – Increased parking, there are already problems at the weekends
    – Woodmere Avenue is too narrow to take additional traffic and parking.
    – At the weekends, it is impossible for the emergency services to gain access
  • Noise from additional traffic
  • Loss of views
  • Flood lighting would be very intrusive to the neighbouring houses
  • A café would increase rubbish, vermin and also unsocial behaviour
    – What would be the open hours of the Café
  • A facility of this nature is totally unsuitable in a residential area
  • We already have several local sports facilities
  • Increased Flooding risk of rear gardens and properties in Bywood Avenue from the Chaffinch Brook which runs through Ashburton Playing Fields

Ashburton Playing Fields Flood Map

Potential material planning considerations

  • Change of character
  • Environmental – noise / light pollution
  • Contravening local policies (building on MOL)
  • Loss of privacy

Timings

Officers are planning to submit a full planning application in ‘late summer’ with a full consultation commencing soon.

Next steps

  • Councillors to discuss scheme and planned response with MORA and residents
  • Consider organising a public meeting and inviting Cabinet member responsible

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

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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