THE WEST CHISWICK & GUNNERSBURY SOCIETY

28 Thorney Hedge Road
Chiswick
London  W4 5SD

RE: 114/115 POWER ROAD, CHISWICK

Planning application ref: 00890/114 & 115/P1 dated 21 December 2002

Outline of application: Demolish existing two storey structure and construct a car showroom with associated car parking on ground and mezzanine floors, with basement car parking area; 60 two bedroom flats and 169 one bedroom flats over six floors.

Applicant: Shaftesbury Housing Group, Shaftesbury House, 87 East Street, Epsom, Surrey KT17 1DT tel: 01372 727252.

Agent T P Bennett, 1 America Street, London SE1 0NE Tel: 0207 2082000.

Site area 0.390 hectares

ANY OJBECTIONS HAVE TO BE SENT ASAP – THE CONSULTATION LETTER WAS SENT OUT ON THE 23^RD DECEMBER AND WE HAD 21 DAYS TO OBJECT.  HOWEVER, IAN DRAPER HAS ADVISED THAT ANY OBJECTIONS SENT NOW WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED.  THE CONSULTATION LETTER WAS NOT SENT TO MANY RESIDENTS IN WEST CHISWICK AS THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED IT TO BE TOO FAR FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD PROPERTIES.

WRITE TO:

Ian Draper
Planning Officer
The Civic Centre
Lampton Road
Hounslow
Middx   TW3 4DN

Reference : 00890/114 & 115/P1

·        The site is located on the north corner of Power Road and Gunnersbury Avenue. The railway line that runs through to Kew Bridge Station backs it. It is slightly raised and sloped upwards from the front to the back of the site because of the bridge and embankment of the railway line.

·        Currently it is a mixture of one and two storey buildings that were used for factory or other commercial use. The site is unoccupied and boarded up. The existing buildings are mostly pre-war, constructed in a somewhat haphazard manner and in a mixture of designs and materials. None of them seem to be of any architectural interests.

·        It is located next to a two storey commercial building that is in use and opposite a mostly two storey- rising in part to three storey, commercial property -currently occupied by Careline.

·        Proposed development: This would be to:

1.      Provide major showrooms & service areas for the Ford Motor Company at basement, ground and mezzanine floors levels. The height of this part of the development is not shown on the plans, but the drawings suggest that it would rise to at least the height of the existing two floors. Although part of it would be lower than the existing road level on Gunnersbury Avenue. The area covered by this commercial development would be 1,024 metres² in the basement, 1,299metres² on the ground floor & 1,336 metres² on the Mezzanine floor. A total of 3,659 metres²

2.      Construct above this 7 floors of 229 residential units comprising in total 13,686 metres² as follows:  

o       1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd floors to consist of 38 residential units made up of 29 x one-bedroom units and 9 x two bedrooms units per floor. Each floor 1625 metres².

o       4^th & 5^th floors to consist of 32 residential units – 23 x one bedroom & 9 x two bedrooms units covering 1426 square² per floor.

o       6^th floor to consist of 26 residential units – 17 x one bedroom & 9 x two bedrooms covering 1193 square².

o       7^th floor to consist of 25 residential units – 19 x one bedroom & 6 x two bedrooms covering 1107 square².

o       On the top roof space, there will be a raised plant room covered in louvered aluminium with a large “FORD” sign on it

3.      The profile of the building is a stepped up roof effect with open areas from the fifth floor upwards.

4.      The design of the building shows a curved frontage. It seems somewhat pre-war in design with large rectangular windows from the ground floor to the 3^rd or 4^th floor; and a mixture of small and larger windows elsewhere. In my view it is a somewhat functional design; not particularly architecturally inspiring, but not hideous either.

5.      There will be a total of 109 parking bays – 40 in the basement, 28 on the ground floor and 41 on the mezzanine.

6.      Many of the flats will be for key workers.

I think we should not oppose the construction of residential flats or mixed development on the site. I suggest, however, we oppose for the following reasons:

1.      It will effectively be a nine storey building with a pronounced plant room on top. As the adjacent buildings are only two or three storey in height, it will be considerably higher than those that surround it and would dominate the area and be the thin end of the wedge with creeping high rise coming ever closer to Thorney Hedge Road, Silver Crescent and then on into the West Chiswick heartland and on the other side The Gunnersbury Park Estate Conservation Area.

2.      The rising nature of the site would also add to its height.

3.      The building should be reduced to no more that 3 storey above the basement, or 4 storey -providing the ground floor was sunk below the existing ground level. 

4.      It would be clearly visible from the conservation areas and it is not in character with them in terms of height and design.

5.      The design of the power plant and proposed advertisement on the roof would add to the dominant effect of the building and is prominent in design. It would be clearly noticeable from the close by Gunnersbury Park. The power plant should be either integrated into the main structure of the building, or made to a design that is more in character with the building and surrounding area.

6.      The parking provision for 229 residential units, plus for usage by the commercial premises in completely inadequate.

7.      The impact on local traffic would be significant; and would contribute more towards the heavily congested state of Chiswick High Road and Gunnersbury Avenue. It would also add to the congested nature of Gunnersbury Station.

·        I also think there are too many one bedroom and not enough two bedroom flats. But that is a personal view and I do not feel that strongly about making this point.

Terry Thorn