Comments on: Plans for hotel near Asda in Clapham Junction

By: Clapham Junction hotel plans rejected | Love Clapham

Clapham Junction hotel plans rejected | Love Clapham — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:35:23 +0000

[...] Love Clapham’s previous story and our original story [...]

By: Clapham Junction hotel development | Love Clapham

Clapham Junction hotel development | Love Clapham — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:47:04 +0000

[...] few weeks ago Love Clapham reported a new development over in Clapham Junction and we feel it’s necessary to clarify a few points relating to this. On one side is a developer [...]

By: Hotel in Clapham Junction – why we object « NO to towers in Clapham Junction

Wed, 27 May 2009 10:57:32 +0000

[...] their application. David Rosemont commented on this website: “See my comments on the http://www.loveclapham.com website regarding the extensive consulation that has already taken place on the hotel project since [...]

By: Jack Wallington

Jack Wallington — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:19:03 +0000

If anyone has queries about this, please contact me on we@loveclapham.com and I will pass your details to Tim so that you can discuss any concerns.

By: Tim Glass

Tim Glass — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:17:02 +0000

Julia- We will be dropping a letter in to all residents in Mossbury Road, as well as local businesses, in a few days, to give some information, including a means of contacting us direct, if you wish. All the submission documents, drawings and reports should be up on the Council website soon (they weren’t yesterday). If you do not live in Mossbury Road, perhaps you would like to let me have some contact details via the website orgainisers and I will see that our letter gets to you.

By: Julia Matcham

Julia Matcham — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:20:54 +0000

And even after all that correspondance , no application number has been given. I would like to look.
I am a local resident and I have heard nothing about it.
These things are kept quiet for very good reason.
15 stories is too high. It would be a precedent for mushrooming high rise buildings all around the station area. Redevelopment we may need, but not disproportionate to everything else around. No-one wants high-rise buildings except developers. What would this company be offering to do under Section 106?

By: Tim Glass

Tim Glass — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:48:54 +0000

I would be pleased to. Sometime next week if you like? I have e-mailed my contact details to Jack to pass on to you.

By: Cyril Richert

Cyril Richert — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:36:42 +0000

Jack> Thanks

Tim, David> Always happy to meet. I think we could arrange something by the end of May?

By: Jack Wallington

Jack Wallington — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:57:59 +0000

Thanks everyone for your comments – I’m away this weekend but am happy to pass on any details if needed. It seems like this is best discussed in person or on the phone. Please feel free to contact me on we@loveclapham.com.

By: Tim Glass

Tim Glass — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:40:32 +0000

I am sorry that Mr Richert didn’t get the mail drop about the exhibition but I put them through all of the doors myself (well with my wife actually!)and several residents from Mossbury Rd attended. Anyway, Mr Richert is obviously very interested in our scheme and so I would be pleased to meet with him personally, if he would like to discuss any aspect of our proposals. Perhaps the website organisers could pass on my e-mail address. Tim Glass (Director-Oak Trading Co Ltd)PS We are nothing to do with the applicants for the station site.

By: David Rosemont

David Rosemont — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:03:14 +0000

Whilst as an architect I of course accept that the architecture of a town centre is extremely important I resolutely stand by my statement about the predominant daily experience being that at street or first floor level at the most. In a good town centre there is just so much going on in the street, in the shop windows, the displays, the fascias etc let alone dodging the bollards,the buses and the rogue cyclists.

Exceptions exist of course at points of focal interest where taller architectural features are more noticeable, and in the Design and Access Statement you will see that the designers have paid attention to the nature of this site and the setting in arriving at the design for this building. Infact the site offers a huge opportunity in that sense.

If you were to ask the average person about their architectural experience of most of the buildings above first floor level in a high street I think you would be met with incredulity.

In fact one of the problems about town centres is that retailers want at most two floors and then you are left with a use problem above.

Clapham Junction is described as a town centre but in reality it could be equal to some city centres. This coupled with its unrivalled public transport connections suggests opportunities for density and activity above the normal levels. These possibilities are enshrined in adopted policy documents, and a hotel use is ideal.

The site at 155 Falcon Road is at just about the worst part of the Conservation Area. The existing building is mediocre. A hotel is needed and gives significant regeneration benefits. The design is of quality and responds to the constraints of the Conservation Area.

Mr Richert will find on his own website a response on the facts of the consultation already done on the hotel project since November 2007.

By: Cyril Richert

Cyril Richert — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:43:16 +0000

David Rosemont> Unfortunately, I must disagree on most of the answer. As a resident of Mossbury Road, I have not received any information (nor my neighbours I checked with). The usage of “extension consultation” is therefore unappropriate. There is a possibility that the consultation happened in other places (such as Wandsworth town) and you miss the close vicinity for some reason though.

However if you provide me with all the information regarding your plan, it will help to draft our article on the scheme, rather than using the few information available here and there.

As a resident, should an application been logged, the Council has the obligation to inform. This has clearly not been done. Do you know why?

Last but not least, it seems that most residents have shown they disagree with your last statement: “In any event when you think about it in a town centre the predominant experience is in fact of the lower levels of buildings and in the public domain. That’s what the vitality of a town centre is all about, and is precisely what’s lacking in Falcon Road at the moment!”

By: David Rosemont

David Rosemont — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:54:19 +0000

In relation the history of consultation on the hotel site we would like to point out that a very full consultation has in fact already been undertaken on the project. Mr Richert is quite wrong.
In November 2007 a presentation was made to a public meeting of The Clapham Junction Town Centre Partnership where the scheme was generally welcomed.
After hand delivery to all local addresses in April 2008 there were two public exhibition events of a revised scheme on site and local residents and councillors, with others, attended.
Since then the scheme has evolved taking on board comments made and resulting in the current application, which should not be compared to any other much larger applications in terms of height or bulk. We as designers have taken enormous pains to come up with a design that responds to the constraints of the Conservation Area yet at the same time makes a direct, worthy and early contribution to the much needed regeneration of the town centre.
On Mr Richert’s point about the illustration a number were submitted with the press release, and are on our own blog, including immages of the full height of the building in its setting. In any event when you think about it in a town centre the predominant experience is in fact of the lower levels of buildings and in the public domain. That’s what the vitality of a town centre is all about, and is precisely what’s lacking in Falcon Road at the moment!

By: Cyril Richert

Cyril Richert — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:11:13 +0000

Hmmm a “a state of the art hotel with restaurant”? 15 stories? Once again in the picture, it does not show the extend of the tower but cut short at the bottom… it reminds me too much of the two 42 storey towers we are fighting.
Better picture – but less appealing is here: http://www.propertyweek.com/story_attachment.asp?storycode=3139938&seq=2&type=P&c=1
In addition, I will remind that the original developer project was to build 3 big towers. They eventually moved to only 2 skyscrapers… and it seems that the remaining one has just crossed the street to become a hotel…

I have not definite opinion, and we have not been given any information (except in the press) on the scheme. It seems that the Council/the developers are waiting for the last minute, and to see what is going on with the scheme at the station.