Chairman’s Report
AGM 24th October
There was an excellent turn out for the AGM and it was good to see so many residents and visitors from other organisations which have similar interests and objectives in the Wimbledon area. There were no guest speakers as such but we did invite our local Councillors to participate. They had arranged a very interesting and informative presentation on air quality and pollution by two senior members of the Merton Regulatory Services Partnership. We also had an update on the AELTC planning application legal aspects from Christopher Coombe.
Included in the Chairman’s report was an update from Pam Healy on the improvements in Durnsford Rec which are ongoing. Also highlighted were that we had recently set up a Facebook page with the assistance of Kish Modasia. I hope all those who are Facebook users will like it. A new website is being prepared which will be more newsy and informative in style and also have a
membership facility where you can join or renew and pay online. It was agreed to change the membership to annual only and increase the subscription to £10.00; the first time it has been changed in about twenty years! The reserves of the Association are in good shape but the income from membership is limited mainly because we do not have a Membership Secretary to deal with administration and focus on renewals and encouraging more people to join. If there is anyone reading this who thinks they can spare a few hours a month to help with this they would be very welcome. Advertising from the newsletter used to cover the printing costs and make a small profit but, since Covid, the printing prices have shot up and, as a result, we have had to reduce
the number of pages.
We also announced that we will be incorporating into a Company Limited by Guarantee. It is no longer suitable for an unincorporated organisation such as ours to carry on with everyone effectively exposed to unlimited liability. In this we have been offered the generous pro bono assistance of Solicitors, Russell- Cooke.
AELTC Planning Application
As many of you will know Merton planning officers passed the AELTC application at their meeting on the 26th October. This was by a margin of six to four with Labour members of the committee all voting in support. In all the years I have been attending planning meetings, this was the most disappointing and frankly bizarre meeting I have ever attended. The amount of time given by the Chairman to the AELTC for answering questions and providing additional information was
more than extraordinary.
Fortunately we have had more positive news from Wandsworth who deliberated on the application on the 21st November and unanimously rejected it 7—0. Apart from the excellent result there were two outstanding factors. The Officers’ report issued a week before the meeting was very thorough, well written and well balanced. Also the conduct of the meeting was sensible, interesting and informative.
At the heart of their decision to reject was the principle of ‘Very Special Circumstances’ (VSC). We have mentioned this in past reports and a separate piece on Page 22 sets out this in a little more detail. In essence this relates to S147 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which lays down the requirements for any building on Metropolitan Open Land (MOL). Basically S147 says that any proposed building on MOL is ‘inappropriate’ and can only be allowed if VSCs exist. The applicant must prove that the harm done to the land is clearly outweighed by other considerations advanced by the application. Wandsworth’s conclusion was that: substantial harm to MOL openness was identified; other harm was identified, and ‘Very Special Circumstances’ was not demonstrated.
Press and TV coverage
Press and TV coverage of both meetings has been extensive, thanks to the constant efforts of the Save Wimbledon Park PR group led by Jonathan Morrish.
The Next stage
As is the custom with applications which are of potential strategic importance to London, the application has now been referred to the Mayor’s office (GLA) who will decide whether to ‘call in’ the application and become the local planning authority.
Demonstrations
The SWP campaign group organised demonstrations at each planning hearing. There was tremendous support from both Wimbledon and Southfields residents who turned out in great numbers with a huge variety of placards and good humour. I am pleased to tell you there were no arrests! The TV crews covering the demonstrations were suitably impressed. The show goes on!
To all residents, a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year
Comments