Please OBJECT to development on Metropolitan Open Land in Greenwich
Please help! It will only take a minute. Write to cpickering@quatro-pr.co.uk as below (or in your own words) – giving your name and address. Anyone can object but local campaigners would particularly encourage people who live in Lewisham, Bromley, Greenwich and Bexley to send their objections.
This is a PR company ‘consulting’ on behalf of a school, to prepare a statement of community involvement. But local campaigners are very concerned that voices of dissent will not be heard, despite the site being a flood plain and school places not being needed, and that fact that the site was bought by the UK Government without planning permission – thereby prejudicing the planning system. CPRE London has made strong objections and will continue to do so.
Many thanks for your help.
Alice Roberts, CPRE London
…………………………………………………………………………
Dear Sirs,
Re: International. Academy of Greenwich Proposed Major Development on Bowring Metropolitan Open Land
I oppose the proposed development because:
- It is Metropolitan Open Land which provides Londoners with both recreational and ecological services in particular in this case for sports and flood management. As MOL and as part of a green chain, it is of strategic importance for all of London.
- There are no special circumstances and the need for school places must be seen in the context of provision elsewhere: there are enough school places being offered by schools in the borough and (nearby) schools in neighbouring boroughs to meet need.
I request that you include my objection in your Statement of Community Involvement.
Please acknowledge receipt of my objection.
Yours sincerely
…………………………………………………………..
LFGN has teamed up with CPRE London to bring more support to London’s friends of parks groups. |
When is the deadline?
I don’t think this proposal has started the formal planning procedure, so every objection counts?
The planning application for the building of a school on Metropolitan Open land is at the London Borough of Greenwich for consideration. The deadline for comments was yesterday January 6th 2019 but if you write before the beginning of February your comments will be included. The council meeting will be in March 2019.
The planning number is 18/4193/F Demolition of existing clubhouse and construction of Part Two / part three storey building including basement.
The land is Metropolitan Open Land and although there is a small clubhouse and the hard standing of the old tennis courts the intended application is far in access of this and will result in a loss of the openness of the MOL.The application uses the generalised need for school places across London as it’s Very Special Circumstances. However as the school is to be built at a junction with the London Borough of Lewisham, currently 47% of pupils come from there, this is not necessary. Lewisham have stopped all school extensions and developments as there is no longer a perceived need. This year there were 1000 places available across the borough. Greenwich too has new schools opening in the Borough and will not have the shortfall suggested. These schools will be within parts of the borough were new developments are happening. There has not been a proper investigation of other potential sites and needs. The school has been running but each of the years has been undersubscribed,
The land is also part of the Green Chain and an important contributor to Healthy Streets now and in the future.
The intended development opens onto the polluted A20 which is a Red Route an very busy access route from the centre to the nearby M2 and M20.
The developers say the field is an underused facility but it is a flood reservoir, part of the flood aliviation scheme built by the Environment Agency to alleviate the flooding in Lewisham by the River Quaggy. In combination with the adjacent Weigall Road sport ground (also MOL and part of the Green Chain which the developers are in negotiations with the owners, London Borough of Greenwich, to put a path across to use as student, staff and parent access) it will hold 65,000 sq metres of water at maximum capacity. As a Sports field it has suffered from underfunding but this does not diminish its potential to service the community in the future when pressure on open space will be even greater.