Church Lane Car Park – under threat

Church Lane Car Park

 

Application Number: 2012/1423/LA

The Council has lodged the above planning application to further reduce the size of the Church Lane Shopping Centre Car Park, by installing a multi-use games area including new fences, gates and bollards; and reconfiguration of the car park.
The FOCUS Team believes that the prime function of a shopping centre car park is to attract ‘out of area’ shoppers to the range of independent retailers who do not have their own customer parking facilities. In Leytonstone even Argos must rely on public parking.
A report of the borough’s car parks, presented to the Cabinet, alleged that Church Lane Car Park is underused. The photograph above was taken on a normal weekday and only shows a disabled bay vacant. So much for ‘underused’.
 
LATE INFORMATION: The installation of the multi-use games area will involve the loss of 18/19 car parking spaces, which will inevitably mean less, or no, spaces for shopper parking.
 
Full details of the plan should be on the Council’s website – look in the Planning Explorer, quoting the application number.
Comments on this proposal should be sent to:
Development Management, London Borough of Waltham Forest,
Sycamore House, Town Hall Complex,
Forest Road, E17 4JP
 
Closing date for comments: 4th November

The Woodhouse Tavern – Planning News

The Woodhouse Tavern

Planning Application: 2012/1324

119 Harrow Road, Leytonstone, E11 3PX

The Council’s planning officers have received a planning application which proposes:

  • demolition of existing public house
  • erection of part three and part four storey building
  • comprising 4×1 bed, 5×2 bed, 4×3 bed and 1×4 bed
  • car and cycle parking
  • landscaping and refuse/recycling stores

Any comments should be sent to:

The Development Manager, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Sycamore House, Waltham Forest Town Hall, Forest Road, E17 4JF

The Bell Public House seeks to extend licensed hours

The Bell Public House

The Focus Team has learnt that the Bell Public House in Leytonstone High Road has applied for an extension to its licensed hours. 

Permission has been requested to serve alcohol until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. 

They are also asking for approval to have entertainment until midnight Sunday to Thursday, and until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. 

The Focus Team would like to have your views. 

Olympic Park Legacy

As the Paralympics has drawn to a close, local people will be thinking about what is going to happen to the venues and the Olympic Park as a whole. The following update has been received from Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Leader on the London Assembly:

Earlier this year the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was established to deliver the physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding area after the 2012 Games. This new mayoral body takes over from a number of organisations and will have planning powers from October 2012.

Much work has been carried out to ensure that there is a permanent future for each permanent venue in the park.

The Stadium has received four bids: from West Ham United, Intelligent Transport Services in association with Formula One, UCFB College of Football Business and Leyton Orient. They are now being evaluated ahead of negotiations. These bids would add to the legacy uses already secured for the Stadium such as host to the IAAF 2017 World Athletics Championships.

The Aquatics Centre will be operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited and will cater for all levels of swimming ability and aquatic disciplines for the community and training athletes. Similarly the Handball Arena LINK will be transformed into a multi-use arena used for a wide range of indoor sports training and competitions as well as cultural and business events.

The Velodrome will be owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and will be known as the Lee Valley VeloPark. The velodrome will need very little transformation and will become the hub of the VeloPark. The BMX track will remain, but will be reconfigured, and a road cycle circuit and mountain bike courses will be added.

The Press and Broadcast Centre now has a preferred bidder iCITY to become the long term tenant. iCITY aims to create a leading centre for technology, design and research with the potential to generate more than 4,000 jobs. The digital hub would harness innovation and creativity in east London. The iCity vision also has a community focus including a conference centre and a pedestrian square for broadcasting major sporting events, along with cafes, restaurants and bars.

After the 2012 Games, the park will be closed and works will start to take down temporary venues and to adapt some of the existing venues for future use, as well as building more housing. The park will be re-opening in phases starting in 2013.

VIEW TUBE AND ACCESS ALONG THE GREENWAY – this facility is due to reopen towards the end of the year.

October 2012 – Summer 2013

During this period the following temporary buildings are scheduled to be removed:

  • Basketball Arena

  • Temporary bridges

  • Riverbank Hockey Arena

  • Water Polo Arena

  • The temporary seating wings at the Aquatics Centre

The new Waterden Road will be connected to give access to Park facilities and the neighbouring boroughs

Similarly a series of new bridges will also link the Park with the communities

Completion of building work on the following projects is scheduled:

  • North Park Hub is to be a community centre dedicated to nature, in the green landscape of the North Park

  • South Park Hub and Plaza will be the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s main destination for events, culture and entertainment

  • Lee Valley Velopark will be adapted for public use, with alterations to the cycle circuits as well as surrounding amenities

  • Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centres will be adapted for public use

  • Chobham Manor housing development

February 2013

  • Canal Park scheduled for completion

July 2013

  • Multi-Use Arena and North Park are scheduled to open

August 2013

  • London Cycling Festival, a 100 mile route followed by up to 30,000 participants is the first major event schedulede to take place in the Park

Summer 2013

  • East Village – the first housing development scheduled to open. This is the area that was the Athletes’ Village.

End 2013 – Start 2014

  • Lee Valley Velopark due to open in December 2013

  • Lee Valley Tennis and Hockey Centres due to open

  • White Post Lane and Carpenters Lock will provide key access routes

  • Waterways – cleaned and refurbished before the Games – will open

Spring 2014

  • South Park and Hub due to reopen

 

Leytonstone Fire Station

Artist's impression of the new fire station

Following the public consultation, as reported in an earlier issue of the Focus Newsletter, a brand new fire station is planned to replace the current building in the High Road, but we will have to wait a while.

The Focus Team understands that planning approval is to be sought in August 2012. If successful, demolition and reconstruction work will start in August 2014, with completion scheduled for August 2015.

Leytonstone Police Station

The former Police Station

Planning application number: 2011/1229

The council has just received a planning application to convert the former Police Station, in the High Road, into a school and nursery, including extensions to the rear and a new detached hall building. Parking provision is included.

Any comments should be sent to:

The Development Manager, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Sycamore House, Town Hall, Forest Road, E17 4JF

 

Lincolns – The end of the road!

Lincolns public house in High Road Leytonstone is finally coming to the end of its long life.

It was built in 1870, when it was known as The Elms. After several incidents in recent years its licence was withdrawn and it has been closed since 2008.

A demolition firm has moved on to the site, and the FOCUS Team understands that it is destined to become yet another block of flats.

Colgrave Arms – planning application

Colegrave Arms

The Local Muslim organisation Cann Hall Dean and Education Trust (CHDET) have resubmitted their planning application to Waltham Forest Council to convert the Colegrave Arms into a mosque with local community facilities. 

Following the initial residents’ meeting in October 2010, the organisation hopefully, have now rectified any outstanding planning issues and, if agreed at a future Planning Committee, the former local pub will be occupied and serving the local community once again.

The layout of the building is now designed to have on the ground floor a female prayer hall, a male prayer hall, washrooms and an office. On the first floor will be a second male prayer hall together with a caretaker’s bedroom, a library, a teaching room and an office. On the second floor will be a two bedroom flat.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Liz Phillips would like to hear your views so that she can accurately represent local community feelings to the Planning Committee later this year. Please reply to Liz as soon as possible via the website or via her council email address of cllr.liz.phillips@walthamforest.gov.uk