London campaigners are calling for a stop to the exploitation of locations near parks for profit [1]. Parks are a public resource, and developers are profiting from developments which blight them and that’s not right, they say.
“It’s a new dimension to an issue Londoners are already fed up with. Their local parks are being surrounded by vast towers, ruining any illusion the park may have created of a green haven and having a huge impact on the attractiveness and pleasantness of the park, and in the worst cases, overshadowing as well,” said Alice Roberts of CPRE London.
Catherine Powell from the Victoria Parks Resident Group said: “A 10-story tower right next to the entrance to Victoria Park is incongruous and unacceptable. We’re just fed up with the total disregard for planning policy and the planning system – which clearly states that developments should be appropriate in scale to the local area. High rise is not acceptable - it will spoil the amenity of the park and cast shadows on the surrounding residential community. Crest and Circle [2] are proposing a solid wall of seven storey blocks all the way along the narrow St James’ Avenue, culminating in this huge 10 storey tower by the park, blocking sunlight from existing homes in blocks only three to five storeys high. This threatens to undermine quality of life for residents in the lower rise buildings.”
Hackney Downs User Group secretary Garry Malcolm said: “The 10 and 13 storey towers planned for the north side are wholly out of keeping with the scale of building around the Downs. Park view flats might make a tidy profit for developers, but at the expense of the amenity of the park – impacting on its openness and the views.
“I’m dismayed that the Mayor of Hackney has opposed the enormous tower at Shoreditch, but is promoting developments such as these. It’s hypocritical. We’ve already watched the Woodberry Down tower crane over Finsbury Park [3] and the new Kings Crescent Estate over tower Clissold Park [4]. Enough is enough.”
Catherine Powell contact: 07503 405723
Garry Malcolm contact: 07973 759424
NOTES
(1) CPRE London is calling for Planning Policies relating to the scale and massing of buildings to be properly enforced around parks to stop developers from being able to profit from development which reduces the amenity of the park – a public asset.
(2) http://www.londonchesthospital.co.uk/. Steve Westlake of Victoria Park Residents Group also said: 'We are not against the development of the site for new flats, and its great that new residents can enjoy the green surroundings of the beautiful Victoria Park. However, the development should be in-keeping with its surrounding and be a contribution to the community, not simply an exercise in making as much money as possible for the developers by exploiting the park and building as many flats as possible.'
