Two tone deaf RBKC planning suits with backgrounds in regeneration appear to have been in the act of picking fights with this borough’s residents and waging war on our communities.
We have posted about Sue Foster, Interim Director of Planning and Place who came to us from Lambeth before here – but she seems to have had a short stay at Hornton Street and now, Amanda Reid who came here from Newham has taken over the top job
From The Hornets Nest have been reporting on the controversial plans for Avon House in Allen Street Kensington – which have over 120 objections from local residents and we suggest our readers pay a visit to The Dame’s excellent blog here and here for further background on the matter
Not satisfied with getting on the wrong side of residents in Allen Street, Foster and Reid appear to have formed a “tag team” duo and have also been in the act of harassing the owners of a much-loved North Kensington independent pub.
The owners of Ariadne’s Nectar Batin Latimer Road have been issued with planning notices from both Reid and Foster over the temporary front porch that was erected to keep down noise levels and also the outdoor smoking area and awning – which have been there for years and help to keep down noise and also to keep people who aren’t customers of the pub from hanging around outside
The “offending” outdoor areaSome will be wondering why, when many other pubs and restaurants in the locality also have these , what is the problem?
As both Amanda and Sue come fron from out of town, we have to explain to them that the problem is just ONE household who converted a chip shop nearby to a residential property and has been harassing the pub owners for years and making various complaints about them just because they do not happen to like having a pub in the locality, even though this pub has been in business for 18 years and a pub has been on that site since 1888
The ” tag team duo of destruction ” were very keen to point out to the owners of Ariadne’s that the pub is located in a conservation area – but what they might not know is that the pub has the support of most of the residents who live there and that the local St Quintin Woodlands Neighbourhood Forum some time back applied for the pub to have Asset of Community Value status.
Many residents around Notting Hill Gate will not miss “Grim Reaper” Sue as she is partly to thank for the RBKC Planning Committee approving this 173 bed Hotel last October that over 60 local residents concerned about the size, height and mass of the building objected to – but were compleyely ignored.
Below is a picture taken from that meeting, to show just how intrusive and disturbing to residents in Victoria Gardens this hotel will be:
Others who share our concerns about regeneration, those who want to support our local small businesses and those who worry about over-development and too many tall buildings in the borough and the character of our neighbourhoods being ruined – will be concerned to know that Amanda “Newham Nightmare ” Reid before coming to RBKC, presided over controversial regeneration schemes in Newham and the redevelopment of Stratford Town Centre.
It is very worrying that some figures at our council seem to believe that suits from Newham or Lambeth know more about our neighbourhoods than the people who actually live here.
Residents all over RBKC will be sleeping with one eye open and that eye being kept firmly on whatever comes up before the Planning Committee next…..
THis Is North Kensington 