I agree, Paul, and have said so repeatedly in planning committee meetings, presentations and visits. Too often, plans from developers are misleading - interpretations showing views from angles that minimise the impact of height or mass or scale. There was a long discussion at the Chiswick Curve public inquiry about the tilt shift lens which takes photos that, among other things, shifts perspectives. A tilt shift view of the Chiswick Curve from Kew Gardens showed it barely visible above a line of trees, as if its 32 storeys would have little impact on the skyline. We won't know the fact until it's built (please, no) but it seemed obvious to many that the projected view was significantly misleading. I have since asked for planning applications to include very straightforward elevations showing relative heights in reality (one can hope that's what they would show). During another discussion, very recently, I was assured by a planning officer that we will have them. I am looking forward to this reality check - but aware that there might be some other clever trick to watch out for.
At last night's exhibition about the B&Q/Hudson Square development, the drawings showed the public square bathed in sunlight. As it lies in the centre of the development beneath and between the buildings (one 17 storeys high, another 16 storeys high) I made the point that it must most often be in shadow. There will, of course, be a daylight and sunlight assessment with the planning application but, in my view, showing it bathed in sunlight was no different from using a tilt shift lens. It will be in sunlight some of the time - but how much time?
Do go to the Hudson Square exhibition - Thursday, 21st March from 3.30pm to 7.30pm at the Musical Museum in Brentford. And do ask for more info than is on the exhibition boards. The developer team is hugely enthusiastic about the innovative aspects of the scheme though, at this stage and with TfL's current lack of engagement and (of course) Brexit uncertainty, quite a lot is aspirational. |