Growing Support For Campaign Against The 32-Storey Chiswick Curve

Packed hall for protest meeting of groups united against the development

There was a packed attendance at the protest meeting against the 32-storey Chiswick 'Curve' last night (January 27th) with residents urged to write to Hounslow Council outlining their opposition before the deadline of February 1st.

Along with Chiswick residents, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Kew Residents Association, Brentford Community Council, the Green Party,as well as Tony Arbour Conservative GLA Member for South West London.

The deadline for residents to make comments is 1 February, although comments received after this date will still be considered if a decision has not been made by the Council.

Tony Arbour said, “Having this enormous tower to be seen for miles around sitting right next to a busy motorway and roundabout with record levels of pollution is just madness. Added to that, if Heathrow went ahead, it would not only make life intolerable for those living inside the new offices and flats but also Chiswick residents having to deal with more noise, more traffic and more people in and out of Chiswick”.

The meeting was chaired by Cllr Adrian Lee, who described the proposed development as 'a colossus' and said it was now seventeen years since the first of numerous proposals for the site, many of them "entirely speculative". He said this was a cross-party and cross community campaign.

Mr Peter Eversden of Bedford Park Resident's Association was also on the panel.

The chairman of the West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society, Marie Rabouhans, urged people to email and write to the Council as soon as possible. She said the development should be opposed because if its -

• total unsuitability of the site as residential - highly polluted, grid-locked roundabout (should be non-residential)
• far too high - negative impact on surrounding heritage and low-rise residential areas (highest element should be no more than 60m with bulk of building between 30 to 48m)
• impact on traffic and public transport - eg Gunnersbury station (should be significantly reduced in size)
• lack of infrastructure - so much major development already built or in the pipe-line on Brentford - Chiswick border,( there is a need for an infrastructure catch-up before any more development)
• there are four LED advertising screens planned which would be seen 24/7 by local residents (this should be reduced to two, smaller ones)

She added that these issues were also relevant to the current consultation on The Great West Corridor.

Planning applications are evaluated against the Council's planning policies as set out in the Local Development Plan.

Roger Vipond of the Gunnersbury Triangle Residents' Association said: "This Estate is home to very many (ordinary) people who raised their families here, and have lived here all their lives. It is also home to many new residents, who are just starting to bring up their families here. 

"Almost all of us are convinced that the proposed “Chiswick Curve” development would seriously damage the quality of life for everyone who lives here, and for all time.

"Put simply, we fear it will ruin a quiet, and long-established, neighbourhood, by being totally out-of-scale with an estate of small family homes. We are also certain that the increased traffic and air pollution would be equally damaging, in spite of the developers’ best attempts to suggest otherwise,"

Local people have been encouraged to sign up to the campaign email list to stay up to date with development and there are further rallies planned and a petition may also be launched.

Those interested can email Councillor Adrian Lee at: adrian_adrianlee@yahoo.co.uk or Councillor Peter Thompson at: peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk to keep up to date about the campaign.

Representatives of the developers (Gailliard) gave presentations to the Chiswick and Brentford forums recently where they received a frosty reception from local residents.

The development is also opposed by the Chiswick High Road Action Group (CHRAG).

The tower at Chiswick roundabout will contain up to 320 new apartments with 1-3 bedrooms and an expected 800 new residents. There will also be 50,000 square feet of commercial space including offices and restaurants which is anticipated will accommodate 400 staff. The second one will be 25 storeys high and linked to other tower at the lower levels.

A formal planning application was submitted by Starbones Limited to Hounslow Council on 21 December 2015. If planning permission is granted, the resulting skyscraper would be the tallest building in West London, higher than Trellick Tower in Paddington.

Letters have now been sent by Hounslow Council to hundreds of homes in Chiswick asking for comment. The deadline for residents to make comments is 1 February, although comments received after this date will still be considered if a decision has not been made by the Council.

The developers claim that an outward facing design approach and 'public realm strategy' will overcome the severance effect of the M4 flyover. They are also promising an improved pedestrian and cyclist environment beneath the M4 flyover.

January 28, 2016