Parking! URGENT AND IMPORTANT

UPDATE: At the meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday 18th April, Cllr Robin Brown successfully argued against the methodology used by the developers of The Firs to measure parking stress. As a result the committee agreed to defer the decision on parking permits pending further analysis of parking in the area. Watch this space!

Original story:
The HWA’s planning representative, Nick Baylis, has spotted that an approval – likely to be waved through by the council’s planning committee this coming Wednesday – could set a precedent with huge negative implications for parking locally. If you want to submit your view, you need to do it by the end of Monday (17th April), 5pm latest.

Buried amongst lots of other detail (in application 21-3042-VRC) is the proposal to allow residents of The Firs development on Church Grove to apply for resident parking permits.

This development has been controversial on many fronts, but on parking…

• The original proposal approved in 2018 included basement parking for its residents.

• The developers decided to take that out (it would be expensive to build). Revised planning permission was then approved by the council in 2019, and the developers were then able to sell on the site at a very considerable profit to themselves.

• The council’s approval of the removal of on-site basement parking came with the clear proviso that residents of this development would not be able to apply for resident parking permits – it is already hard enough for local residents to find parking spaces.

• However, this latest application – which is recommended for approval at Wednesday’s planning committee – reverses that and will allow residents of The Firs to apply for resident parking permits. This will mean an extra 8 cars competing for the spaces on Church Grove, St John’s Road, Park Road…

And what is even worse is that this will set a precedent. There will be nothing to stop the developers or future freeholders of Kingston Bridge House, Kelly’s Dance Studio, the Old King’s Head etc. from gaining similar privileges for all the new residents coming into those developments.This would mean scores of additional cars circling round looking for parking spaces.

The HWA has submitted a very thorough objection which you can read here HWA Objection to Firs application April 2023.

The Council’s planning committee is meeting this coming Wednesday so you must get your views submitted by 5pm on Monday (17th April) LATEST.

You may also wish to comment on the various other issues we have had with this development: the ugly and unapproved building materials used (reconstituted slate etc); the lack of landscaping plans; the plastering over of the lovely old brick wall; the change in the number and configuration of flats built – in contravention to their planning approval; their unauthorised letting / selling of the flats to occupants before they have complied with their planning consent conditions…

The planning application reference is 21/3042/VRC

Please send your views (including the above reference) to:
envprotection@richmond.gov.uk
cllr.r.brown@richmond.gov.uk
cllr.j.millard@richmond.gov.uk
cllr.petra.fleming@richmond.gov.uk
cc: info@hamptonwick.org.uk

You can also submit your views via the council’s planning portal

The planning application reference is 21/3042/VRC

Previous HWA News Stories about The Firs development:

Council has questions to answer
Architectural vandalism
Our councillors ask for referral to planning committee
The Firs, Church Grove