NEWS AND UPDATES :: 3 SEPTEMBER 2015
Letter to our Member of Parliament
regarding the Kidderpore Avenue development
Dear Ms Tulip Siddiq, MP,
Redington Frognal Association would like to bring to your attention the development plans for the historic Westfield College campus in Kidderpore Avenue.
The site is contracted to be sold to the residential developer, Mount Anvil, on receipt of planning permission. The planning application includes a change of use from education to residential, and would result in the loss of the area's heritage and traditional use as a tertiary education hub within the Redington Frognal Conservation Area.
The site also includes several important grade II listed buildings. One of these is Kidderpore Hall (photo attached), which had been in continual tertiary educational use until 2006, when the London Jewish Cultural Centre moved out. Interest in renting the entire building has been expressed both the University of the Third Age and the Youth Music Centre. Instead, our heritage is to disappear as Kidderpore Hall is converted into just two luxury apartments. The other grade II listed buildings are to be similarly converted into luxury apartments – complete with underground parking for about 100 vehicles.
Of equal disappointment is the damage which is to be inflicted on the grade II Site of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINC). The SINC (CaB1109) has recently been re-designated by the London Wildlife Trust (on behalf of Camden) and provides valuable wildlife habitat, including bat foraging habitat.
It is highly likely that an underground water source lies beneath the SINC, as confirmed by the expert hydrologist, Dr. Stephen Myers. Although no underground river is mapped there, Dr. Myers considers it highly probable that the adjoining Thames Water reservoir site was selected due to the presence of a spring. The SINC therefore has far greater biodiversity potential than is apparent from LWT's recent assessment for Camden.
The SINC will be permanently damaged by Mount Anvil's plans to build housing around the perimeter of the site, including in the most biodiverse section, adjacent to the vicarage garden. It is also planned to excavate the entire SINC in order to construct underground car parking.
Finally, we are concerned that the development will place additional burden on St Luke's Free School, the small and successful free school that is located next to the site. The development plans make no provision for expansion of St Luke's to accommodate the additional residents on this site and on the other former KCL site in Kidderpore Avenue, now re-named Kidderpore Green, where 128 flats and houses under development by Barratt.
The planning application number is: 2015/3936/P, dated 22 July.
We should be very grateful for your interest in this case.
Yours sincerely,
Rupert McNeil
Chairman
Redington Frognal Association
26 JULY 2015
Mount Anvil and St Luke’s
The redevelopment of KCL’s Kidderpore Avenue Site is one of the largest in the RedFrog area. On behalf of RedFrog we are supporting the Governors at St Luke’s and our councillors, speaking with Camden and with the developer, Mount Anvil, about giving St Luke’s the extra space and facilities it needs, as part of the development; and minimising the disruption from construction on residents and wildlife. RedFrog submitted applications in March for Kidderpore Hall and the SINC to be designated as Assets of Community Value back in March. As expected, both were rejected.
RedFrog had a deputation to Camden Council in June on the development, where Penny Roberts very eloquently made the case for what St Luke’s needs. Thanks to all those who came.
Since then, Penny has been able to make progress with the Education Funding Agency (EFA). The EFA is the government agency responsible for securing property for schools and paying for capital works. The EFA has met with Mount Anvil, who are willing to talk about what would happen if the Camden planners were to change their advice to include education use. The EFA have provided Mount Anvil with room specifications and Mount Anvil are working up potential locations and costings. The EFA have already approved St Luke’s business case in principle but would need to review the cost. The next step will be to meet Camden’s education officers and reassure them so that they encourage the Camden planners to change their priorities for this site.
If Penny and the St Luke’s team can achieve this it will be a great outcome and we will be giving RedFrog’s full support. A new hall at St Luke’s would be a great community facility, and the extra class room capacity would have an impact on school run traffic (children who could walk to St Luke’s rather than having to be driven to schools outside RedFrog).
There is also interest from a number of members in seeing whether the local community (represented by the Association) could make a bid for Kidderpore Hall, using community right to buy provisions. This would be with the aim of having it available for educational and other uses. This emerged as an issue in the recent survey. Rob and I would be very interested to know people’s views on this, being aware that it would not be a small undertaking, albeit one that might have long lasting benefits for the area.
In the interim, we will be taking forward conversations with Mount Anvil, now that their planning application has been submitted.
Finchley Road
Working closely with the Lindfield & Langland Neighbourhood Association, and with the West Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum, RedFrog continues to work on improving the streetscape and air quality along the Finchley Road. Current work includes trying to get an independent air pollution study commissioned with KCL’s environmental specialists and raising awareness of the safety and streetscape issues with our representatives at the GLA and the House of Commons. There is a questionnaire about what issues you see as important for Finchley Road on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WestHampsteadRedfrog
Traffic
The new cycle super-highway, HS2 traffic and the developments on Kidderpore Avenue will add further traffic pressure to RedFrog streets and we are keen to minimise the impact. One particular area of concern is the ‘rat-running’ problem, which we are raising with Camden, specifically in the ‘entry points’ to the Croft streets, including Briardale Gardens.
Bio-diversity
Development can pose a risk to bio-diversity, but it can also create opportunities when it is done sensitively. We emphasised the importance of bio-diversity in the RedFrog response to Camden’s Local Plan consultation. The Neighbourhood Plan (see below) provide us with an opportunity to improve bio-diversity in RedFrog.
The Neighbourhood Forum and the Neighbourhood Plan
The Forum is separate from RedFrog, although RedFrog is actively supporting the setting up of the Forum. There is quite a lot to do to support the evidence base needed for the Neighbourhood Plan, and The Forum has secured a grant from Locality to help with parts of this. A key task is to update the Conservation Area statement, and we are engaging AECOM, with support from a public grant. RedFrog is also arranging the first meeting of the Forum Committee, as part of its current admin support for the Forum, and many of you will have received a separate email on this. We are keen to keep the identities of the two bodies distinct, but please bear with us during this transitionary period.
Also on the Forum, our survey closes on 31st August. All of our Forum Committee members have completed the Vision and Objectives survey, but it would be very helpful if members could encourage neighbours and other household members to also complete surveys:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Redfrog
(more responses from families and younger people would be great). This data forms an important part of our evidence base.
Planning
We see responding vigilantly to planning applications on behalf of RedFrog residents as a very important function of RedFrog. We intend to put the responses on the website and build up a ‘precedent base’. If there is a planning issue in RedFrog that affects you, please let us know.
Upcoming events
Finally, we are planning some events for RedFrog residents which we hope you will enjoy, including celebrating some aspects of our local heritage.
Letter to our Member of Parliament
regarding the Kidderpore Avenue development
Dear Ms Tulip Siddiq, MP,
Redington Frognal Association would like to bring to your attention the development plans for the historic Westfield College campus in Kidderpore Avenue.
The site is contracted to be sold to the residential developer, Mount Anvil, on receipt of planning permission. The planning application includes a change of use from education to residential, and would result in the loss of the area's heritage and traditional use as a tertiary education hub within the Redington Frognal Conservation Area.
The site also includes several important grade II listed buildings. One of these is Kidderpore Hall (photo attached), which had been in continual tertiary educational use until 2006, when the London Jewish Cultural Centre moved out. Interest in renting the entire building has been expressed both the University of the Third Age and the Youth Music Centre. Instead, our heritage is to disappear as Kidderpore Hall is converted into just two luxury apartments. The other grade II listed buildings are to be similarly converted into luxury apartments – complete with underground parking for about 100 vehicles.
Of equal disappointment is the damage which is to be inflicted on the grade II Site of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINC). The SINC (CaB1109) has recently been re-designated by the London Wildlife Trust (on behalf of Camden) and provides valuable wildlife habitat, including bat foraging habitat.
It is highly likely that an underground water source lies beneath the SINC, as confirmed by the expert hydrologist, Dr. Stephen Myers. Although no underground river is mapped there, Dr. Myers considers it highly probable that the adjoining Thames Water reservoir site was selected due to the presence of a spring. The SINC therefore has far greater biodiversity potential than is apparent from LWT's recent assessment for Camden.
The SINC will be permanently damaged by Mount Anvil's plans to build housing around the perimeter of the site, including in the most biodiverse section, adjacent to the vicarage garden. It is also planned to excavate the entire SINC in order to construct underground car parking.
Finally, we are concerned that the development will place additional burden on St Luke's Free School, the small and successful free school that is located next to the site. The development plans make no provision for expansion of St Luke's to accommodate the additional residents on this site and on the other former KCL site in Kidderpore Avenue, now re-named Kidderpore Green, where 128 flats and houses under development by Barratt.
The planning application number is: 2015/3936/P, dated 22 July.
We should be very grateful for your interest in this case.
Yours sincerely,
Rupert McNeil
Chairman
Redington Frognal Association
26 JULY 2015
Mount Anvil and St Luke’s
The redevelopment of KCL’s Kidderpore Avenue Site is one of the largest in the RedFrog area. On behalf of RedFrog we are supporting the Governors at St Luke’s and our councillors, speaking with Camden and with the developer, Mount Anvil, about giving St Luke’s the extra space and facilities it needs, as part of the development; and minimising the disruption from construction on residents and wildlife. RedFrog submitted applications in March for Kidderpore Hall and the SINC to be designated as Assets of Community Value back in March. As expected, both were rejected.
RedFrog had a deputation to Camden Council in June on the development, where Penny Roberts very eloquently made the case for what St Luke’s needs. Thanks to all those who came.
Since then, Penny has been able to make progress with the Education Funding Agency (EFA). The EFA is the government agency responsible for securing property for schools and paying for capital works. The EFA has met with Mount Anvil, who are willing to talk about what would happen if the Camden planners were to change their advice to include education use. The EFA have provided Mount Anvil with room specifications and Mount Anvil are working up potential locations and costings. The EFA have already approved St Luke’s business case in principle but would need to review the cost. The next step will be to meet Camden’s education officers and reassure them so that they encourage the Camden planners to change their priorities for this site.
If Penny and the St Luke’s team can achieve this it will be a great outcome and we will be giving RedFrog’s full support. A new hall at St Luke’s would be a great community facility, and the extra class room capacity would have an impact on school run traffic (children who could walk to St Luke’s rather than having to be driven to schools outside RedFrog).
There is also interest from a number of members in seeing whether the local community (represented by the Association) could make a bid for Kidderpore Hall, using community right to buy provisions. This would be with the aim of having it available for educational and other uses. This emerged as an issue in the recent survey. Rob and I would be very interested to know people’s views on this, being aware that it would not be a small undertaking, albeit one that might have long lasting benefits for the area.
In the interim, we will be taking forward conversations with Mount Anvil, now that their planning application has been submitted.
Finchley Road
Working closely with the Lindfield & Langland Neighbourhood Association, and with the West Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum, RedFrog continues to work on improving the streetscape and air quality along the Finchley Road. Current work includes trying to get an independent air pollution study commissioned with KCL’s environmental specialists and raising awareness of the safety and streetscape issues with our representatives at the GLA and the House of Commons. There is a questionnaire about what issues you see as important for Finchley Road on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WestHampsteadRedfrog
Traffic
The new cycle super-highway, HS2 traffic and the developments on Kidderpore Avenue will add further traffic pressure to RedFrog streets and we are keen to minimise the impact. One particular area of concern is the ‘rat-running’ problem, which we are raising with Camden, specifically in the ‘entry points’ to the Croft streets, including Briardale Gardens.
Bio-diversity
Development can pose a risk to bio-diversity, but it can also create opportunities when it is done sensitively. We emphasised the importance of bio-diversity in the RedFrog response to Camden’s Local Plan consultation. The Neighbourhood Plan (see below) provide us with an opportunity to improve bio-diversity in RedFrog.
The Neighbourhood Forum and the Neighbourhood Plan
The Forum is separate from RedFrog, although RedFrog is actively supporting the setting up of the Forum. There is quite a lot to do to support the evidence base needed for the Neighbourhood Plan, and The Forum has secured a grant from Locality to help with parts of this. A key task is to update the Conservation Area statement, and we are engaging AECOM, with support from a public grant. RedFrog is also arranging the first meeting of the Forum Committee, as part of its current admin support for the Forum, and many of you will have received a separate email on this. We are keen to keep the identities of the two bodies distinct, but please bear with us during this transitionary period.
Also on the Forum, our survey closes on 31st August. All of our Forum Committee members have completed the Vision and Objectives survey, but it would be very helpful if members could encourage neighbours and other household members to also complete surveys:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Redfrog
(more responses from families and younger people would be great). This data forms an important part of our evidence base.
Planning
We see responding vigilantly to planning applications on behalf of RedFrog residents as a very important function of RedFrog. We intend to put the responses on the website and build up a ‘precedent base’. If there is a planning issue in RedFrog that affects you, please let us know.
Upcoming events
Finally, we are planning some events for RedFrog residents which we hope you will enjoy, including celebrating some aspects of our local heritage.
