AN APPEAL against Southwark council’s refusal of planning permission to build four maisonettes at Spinney Gardens will be heard in January 2013.
Permission was refused by Dulwich community council’s planning committee back in May to build the maisonettes in the spinney at Spinney Gardens/Bowley Lane/Dulwich Upper Wood.
In an email to campaigners Justin Kulaway says the planning inspectorate has responded to Southwark’s request for the appeal against refusal of planning permission to be changed from a written appeal process (as requested by the applicant) to a hearing, and has agreed to an informal hearing.
“This decision was based upon the level of public interest and concern there was to the planning application, via the number of written objections both by individuals and local groups.
“Please make a note of the hearing date in your diary as it is still important that as many people as possible attend this hearing to ensure the Planning Inspector see’s for himself the level of opposition. Unfortunately the hearing is on a work-day and not local.
“It will be on Tuesday 15 January 2013 at 10am, at the Tooley Street SE1 offices of the Southwark planning department. “I appreciate this may be an inconvenience but if at all possible please arrange a few hours off work for that morning to attend the hearing and support the refusal decision.
“Please note also, the current deadline for submitting further written representations still stands at Wednesday 28 November, whether by email or by letter.
“I know this issue is churning on, but please don’t give up or get tired of it now. We are getting closer to seeing off this planning application for good, and going a long way towards saving our spinney.
MAY 11th: SPINNEY GARDENS PLANS THROWN OUT
YOU CAN’T take the Spinney out of Spinney Gardens! – that was the decision councillors unanimously made as they turned down plans to build four maisonettes on a site off Farquhar Road.
Southwark councillors siitting on Dulwich Community Council’s planning committee were being recommended to APPROVE the plans for Spinney Gardens.
But after hearing representations from campaigners and from the applicant councillors turned the application down – to loud applause.
One of the – many – issues raised at the meeting in Kingswood House was that there would be no buffer zone between the development and the neighbouring Dulwich Upper Wood nature reserve which adjoins the site. The committee heard the buffer zone would be moved to inside the nature reserve.
The turning point came as Cllr James Barber (Lib Dem, East Dulwich) recalled a case which had come up at Southwark council’s main planning committee which turned down an application for a development which had no buffer zone. The appeal by the developer had been lost because there was no buffer zone.
Cllr Barber recalled that a landscaping condition was part of the original Spinney Gardens development. “Can you explain why we no longer have to have that landscaping?” he asked.
Planning officer Sylvia Watson replied: “This is just a small part of the estate. “The award was in its entirety.”
Campaigner Justin Kulaway told the committee the estate had won three major design awards – including a Historic Housing Design award in 2008 . He asked why these design awards had not been mentioned in the report by planning officers.
Lucy Buckler, for the applicant Covent Garden Ltd told the committee: “We don’t believe there are any legitimate planning grounds on which this application should be refused.
“In an area crying out for housing there are some misconceptions put forward by objectors. “The trees are all self-seeded , congested and not ancient woodland. “”There’s no agreement to maintain the land and under the lease agreement lessees are specifically excluded from entering the land.”
Among the reasons the committee refused the application were that the development would be out of character; would impact on the nature reserve, and there would be loss of visual amenity to immediate neighbours.
*The committee’s decision prompted one resident to send out the following email:
”I have just got in from our planning committe who heard the application to tear down part of our protected Spinney and build flats … we won a resounding success 6 -0 against the developer.!… thank you, thank you for your support…… I was nearly brain dead but boy is it worth it..! WHOOPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
YOU CAN’T take the Spinney out of Spinney Gardens! – that was the decision councillors unanimously made as they turned down plans to build four maisonettes on a site off Farquhar Road.
Southwark councillors siitting on Dulwich Community Council’s planning committee were being recommended to APPROVE the plans for Spinney Gardens.
But after hearing representations from campaigners and from the applicant councillors turned the application down – to loud applause.
One of the – many – issues raised at the meeting in Kingswood House was that there would be no buffer zone between the development and the neighbouring Dulwich Upper Wood nature reserve which adjoins the site. The committee heard the buffer zone would be moved to inside the nature reserve.
The turning point came as Cllr James Barber (Lib Dem, East Dulwich) recalled a case which had come up at Southwark council’s main planning committee which turned down an application for a development which had no buffer zone. The appeal by the developer had been lost because there was no buffer zone.
Cllr Barber recalled that a landscaping condition was part of the original Spinney Gardens development. “Can you explain why we no longer have to have that landscaping?” he asked.
Planning officer Sylvia Watson replied: “This is just a small part of the estate. “The award was in its entirety.”
Campaigner Justin Kulaway told the committee the estate had won three major design awards – including a Historic Housing Design award in 2008 . He asked why these design awards had not been mentioned in the report by planning officers.
Lucy Buckler, for the applicant Covent Garden Ltd told the committee: “We don’t believe there are any legitimate planning grounds on which this application should be refused.
“In an area crying out for housing there are some misconceptions put forward by objectors. “The trees are all self-seeded , congested and not ancient woodland. “”There’s no agreement to maintain the land and under the lease agreement lessees are specifically excluded from entering the land.”
Among the reasons the committee refused the application were that the development would be out of character; would impact on the nature reserve, and there would be loss of visual amenity to immediate neighbours.
*The committee’s decision prompted one resident to send out the following email:
”I have just got in from our planning committe who heard the application to tear down part of our protected Spinney and build flats … we won a resounding success 6 -0 against the developer.!… thank you, thank you for your support…… I was nearly brain dead but boy is it worth it..! WHOOPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
