| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:solar panels | |
| Posted by: | Joy Skinner | |
| Date/Time: | 12/11/12 13:16:00 |
| My thanks to Oliver Gibb for that last encouraging post. Just for the record, I would like to state, that I think we are only in a Conservation Area because of the street that curves down to St Nicholas Church and then runs along the river towards Hammersmith in front of some beautiful and some not so beautiful houses of very different sizes. It is not a homogenous entity such as you might find in Bath or Regents’ Park. Chiswick was once a country village with a mixture of grand houses and cottages, small scale village industries, fishing activities and market gardens supplying London, but it turned into a suburb with the coming of the Underground. Along this stretch of the river there has been continuing change; there was once an important ferry and many industries ancillary to the river including three Breweries, one of which remains and covers a large part of the Conservation Area and is, to-day, an important source of employment. This has always been and still is a mixed area although it is fast becoming more residential as the river has turned from an industrial asset into a varied recreational scene. Some of the old industries are recalled in the house names. For example; those in Millers Court, where there was a large bakery until the end of the Sixties; The Lamb Brewery - now offices in Church St; and Red Lion House with 1 and 2 The Old Burlington recalling the pubs that bore those names . The Planning Dept has the difficult task of only allowing buildings or alterations which in their opinion 'enhance or preserve' the Conservation Area; but surely this is purely subjective and much swayed by the prevailing fashion? The Victorians thought Georgian houses were poky and badly built but they went out of fashion themselves soon after the first World War. From 1945 Queen Anne, Edwardian or Georgian were the most admired, until fairly recently when, largely thanks to John Betjeman and our friend Mark Girouard, Victorian architecture has come back again, culminating in the cleaning of the Natural History Museum and the restoration of the St Pancras Hotel. Few now admire the flat roofs and square shapes of domestic 'Modern Architecture' despite its popularity with architects; themselves only recognized as a profession in 1936. In my opinion the 4 new houses and 'The Cottage', which have replaced the old maternity hospital, (itself a present from Dan Mason to the people of Chiswick and surprisingly presented to Hammersmith by the Council some years ago), in no way enhance or preserve Chiswick Mall. Apart from Chiswick Mall, Boston Manor and Church St, the Area is not remarkable and this is evident by the way the Council treats Netheravon Rd South, Mawsons Lane and Chiswick Lane South with so little respect - as I have detailed before; all of them lit with motorway style lights, tarmac patches on the ill-maintained pavements and huge lorries rumbling past. Anyway, I would like to thank all of you who have taken part in this discussion and in particular those who have expressed support for us. All opinions have to be in by midnight, so please email sean.doran@ hounslow.gov.uk if you have not already done so. We ourselves have taken a random sample over the weekend, knocking on many doors and accosting passers-by. We received signatures from 168 people of whom 166 supported the retention of the panels with only 2 signing up for the Council. Another 5 abstained and did not want to give an opinion. I am signing off now because we are going to Morocco, to-morrow, to stay with our son who has built a hotel out of mud in the Atlas Mountains (www.kasbahbabourika.com) It is called the Kasbah Bab Ourika and is listed in the Fodor Guide as one of the 100 Best Hotels in The World, in the Luxurious Retreats category! I am sure he would be pleased to see you should you happen to pass by and tell him you supported us. |