Tram shed demolition meeting Tue 7th Oct '08. UPDATED - MOVIE of meeting

Fight the

 2008 application to demolish & re-develop the Old Tram Depot

38-40 Upper Clapton Road
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UPDATE - VIDEO minutes of meeting
at the bottom of this post
The video is part of the meeting held on Tue 7th Oct at the college.

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4 ways to object to the proposed development:

1. Sign the online petition at:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-tram-depot-site-38-40-upper-clapton-rd.html

which is forwarded to council planners.
The site offers other info and updates
or

2. Emailing Adam.Flynn@hackney.gov.uk directly is the simplest and most secure way to register your objections to this re-development.
You can use/select/copy objections from the document below and email them

but you must include the Application number and your name and contact details with the email
or

3. You can view the actual plans, download them, and comment at:

http://idox.hackney.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?action=show&appType=Planning&appNumber=2008/1511

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You can download the posters below to print out up to A2
or email me at david@davidwhitedesign.co.uk for higher res A/W in .jpg or .psd
suitable for up to A0 printing



View from the corner of Prout and Casimir Roads, E5:

(click on the poster to see it full size)



4. Have your say about the proposed re-development of the whole factory/community hall/tram shed workshop site direct to
the planning officers in person.

Have questions and concerns ready to put to council planning officials
at the special consultation meeting on

Tue 7th October 2008
at
7pm to 8.30pm
B6 college in the theatre.

BSix

Brooke House

Sixth Form College

Kenninghall Road

London E5 8BP

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Objections for your (1.) online petition (2.) email or
(3.) planning website
and/or
(4.) to raise at the meeting:

To: Adam Flynn, Planning service 263 Mare St. E8 3HT
(Adam.Flynn@hackney.gov.uk)
Objection to Planning Application 2008/1511.

(http://idox.hackney.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?action=show&appType=Planning&appNumber=2008/1511) this address is correct by may take a few tries before it loads.

I/we would like to object to planning application 2008/1511 on the following grounds:
1) that the proposal is in breach of the unitary development plan with respect to change of use from commercial/industrial to residential and will cause disruption to existing businesses and the loss of employment to people living in the immediate area.
(2) the proposed business development is unviable in a period of economic downturn and a local over supply of similar space, resulting in a net loss of employment for the area.
(3) there is a danger of economically viable business units being converted to B8 usage for warehousing, office space and storage which will not generate sufficient job vacancies. (4) the application significantly underestimated the present level of employment (54 instead of 104 employees).
(5) the proposal has failed to take into account the need for space of existing businesses
(mechanics, joiners, mould makers.), and based its assumptions on space needed for office workers.
(6) the proposal represents the highest level of mixed-use density being developed in Hackney, setting a dangerous precedent for future development in the rest of the borough;
(7) the height and density of the buildings, although reduced from earlier proposals still represents an unacceptable increase in relation to the existing buildings to the rear of the site (Casmir Rd and Beecholme Estate) in terms of being overlooked and overshadowed, creating a detriment to the current environment.
(8) the proposal will create a gated development which is against the unitary development plan, especially since this site borders a housing estate, a matter of equality?
(9) due to present economic conditions (credit crisis and reduced availability of mortgages) the possibility of local people being able to afford the housing part of the development is unlikely.
(10) the existing Community Centres total site area is 312sqm and the proposed replacement is only 142sqm and does not contain disabled facilities, which is unlawful. This land belongs to Hackney Council and is managed by the Beecholme and Casimir Rd Tenants and Residents Association and would not be available for the use of the new residents without consulting with the T.R.A.
(11) reports cited on the impact to existing traffic conditions are based on dissimilar areas and fail to take account of local conditions (commuter parking for Clapton Station, local congestion on Upper Clapton Rd.). The increase of traffic on our local narrow residential Prout, Casimir, Cleveleys and Gunton Roads. Will bring noise, danger and even more congestion to already congested roads;
(12) the proposed entrance to the underground parking in Casimir Rd is insensitively sited with respect to the surrounding properties and will lead to further traffic problems due to being sited at a corner with reduced visibility.
(13) the proposal will create unacceptable long-term pressure on local education, health services, transport and roads;
(14) no environmental study has been carried out on the possibility of ground pollution and possible decontamination on a site that has been used by various industries in the last century.
(15) the Tram Depot is part of Hackney’s working heritage and houses many different businesses and Crafts/Art Workshops. The Building itself is a Horse Drawn Tram Depot from 1873 and a Clapton Horse drawn Tram and its nameplate from this Tram Station features at the Transport Museum!

Don't forget to add your name and contact details.

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See you at the meeting!


you might also like to check out this site with information and photos:
http://www.benlocker.com/2008/10/save-clapton-tram-depot/



NOTE

The current plans with 5 blocks are little better than application 2007/0090 which was rejected!
Take a look at them much further below in this blog - see June 2007, title starts with "Neighbourhood Regeneration... "

Here is a further list of reasons why you should object:

I object to the change of use of 38-40 Upper Clapton Road from light industrial use to residential use.

The main point is that all the units are fully occupied. - Change of use should not be granted

The developer's employment report underestimates the number of workers by about 30. There are 80-100 workers. It is a changing number because the manufacturing businesses employ extra freelancers and fitters when they are busy. For example at Horse Workshops we vary from a core of four to up to nine when we are working at full tilt, with an average of six.

This type of space allows us to work flexibly and therefore competitively. The proposed workspace is totally unsuitable for manufacturing. It is not an exchange of like for like.

Expelling of creative industries and entrepreneurs from the neighborhood because of the absence of suitable replacement space. These are ambassadors for the very tarnished image of Clapton. These are the kind of businesses Clapton should be proud of as we approach 2012 and the Olympics.

Horse Workshops four sculpture/metalwork businesses recently represented at Chelsea Flower Show (public art commissions for Circle Anglia in Old Ford, Southern Housing Foundation on the Isle of Dogs) Phil Brown – Other People’s Sculpture (work for various clients including Zaha Hadid), Xavier Thierpont sound engineer and recording studio, the award winning Tram Depot Gallery, the only art gallery in Clapton.

Loss of local services

Including car repairs – Ram Autos, jaguar garage, Clapton Auto Repairs - re-spray, foam supplies, Plaster-works - plaster casting and moulding, Horse Workshops - welding/metalwork, bespoke furniture - three workshops, fiberglass moulding, fun fur supplies, warehousing for Hackney Building Supplies

The existing businesses provide essential services to the local and East London community

If this site goes all these businesses will either shut up shop or move out of the borough. Many of the businesses like Ram Autos, Clapton Accident Repair, and Hackney Builders Supplies provide essential services to the local community. Even in our workshop despite working nationally we undertake steel supply and provide welding services to local people who just knock on the door. The fun fur and foam warehouses supply the furniture trade in all of East London. Two of the furniture businesses supply the Jewish community, one with bespoke Synagogue fittings. It is good for the businesses and good for the community that we remain embedded in the neighborhood. There is no proven need for neat workspace as proposed in the development (they are going under flats remember), whereas the site is currently fully occupied showing the demand for light industrial units. In fact there is a waiting list.

The proposed blocks are massive

The mass and density of the proposed buildings will create a precedent for other developments in the area. The area is in fact characterized by low rise two/three story houses with larger blocks dispersed around but quite few and far between. The developer thinks he has dealt with this by scaling the blocks from six stories at the front to three stories at the back, but the density is still way way way above the average for the area. The blocks volumetrically represent roughly a doubling of the mass of the site.

And will cause unprecedented pressure on local services

The higher density will increase pressure on local services - schools, medical/social/council services and transport. Coupled with other developments in the neighborhood either underway or planned there will be massive population influx to an area with services already at their limit.

The history of Clapton will be further wiped off the face of the earth

The current proposal completely eradicates the history of the area. The site will be leveled and no trace of its previous form or use is preserved. The Tram Depot is a major part of Clapton's history and is architecturally good in its own right. The blocks that will replace it are nondescript the-same-as-anywhere-generic modern blocks with rubbishy purposeless wood panels.

Gated dormitory for commuters

The site will be gated so is not permeable to local residents. Presently we have our own yard for parking and deliveries which does not impact on surrounding streets. Potential customers can simply knock on our doors and talk to us about jobs.

Thank you for your help and support.

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UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

VIDEO minutes of meeting

This video is part of the meeting held on Tue 7th Oct at the college.
I took it for minuting purposes on my phone so the video is poor compared to the audio,
which is worth listening to.
(that's why the video looks unfinished)
You'll get an idea of just how important it is that the Tram Depot stays as is
or is renovated, not re-developed.

END OF UPDATE
END OF UPDATE