Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Developers Say We are Delighted with High Rise | |
Posted by: | Paul Pryce | |
Date/Time: | 29/08/14 14:46:00 |
Condemning developers for wanting to make money is a bit silly. Ultimately these flats will be homes and in some cases affordable ones provided much needed additions to London's housing stock. If the time, effort and expertise of the company behind it is rewarded with a profit that is a good thing. The developer is also well within their rights to talk about the positive side of local reaction to this scheme. Most people I have spoken to will be pleased to see Empire House refurbed, new shops on a desolate stretch of the High Road and a tidying up of the area around Essex Place. The one aspect of the development that is contentious is the Essex Place high rise tower. It could be argued that, as it won't be as high as Empire House it won't make much difference to the High Road. The claim has been made that it won't unduly overshadow Turnham Green. The question must be - how can we know? The developers airbrushed out the second tower from the visualisations of the scheme from Turnham Green and have studiously avoided showing any drawing from this aspect. This viewpoint is clearly the most important and, that it is not being shown strongly suggests that people would have found it unpalatable. The publicity for the exhibitions in obscure publications rather than the mainstream local media is also indicative of this not really being a genuine consultation exercise. Why this ultimately might be important is that we may not be far away from an even bigger redevelopment of Sainsbury's and its car park. An 8 storey tower in this location is a trojan horse for numerous similarly tall buildings to spring up in the area. |