Roger Freeman reports the following: As Chairman of Camden's Development Control Committee, I spoke last Wednesday at the meeting of Barnet's Development Control Committee where the Brent Cross planning application was on the table. You will no doubt have read of the enormity of the proposal and the fact that it was approved by Barnet's committee.
My tack was not to comment on the scheme per se but point out the impact it will have on Camden. Apart from a lack of affordable housing , there are I feel negative ramifications for the health of the Swiss Cottage (and indeed Kilburn) shopping centre. It has to be said that the GLA planning experts in their wisdom say the impact will be insignificant. I am not so sure. The biggest issue will be the amount of traffic this will generate on Camden's streets. There will be an increase in traffic going down the Finchley Road. The impact will be more seriously felt on the Kilburn High Road which will be saturated.
Most alarming are figures showing that traffic going up Westbere Road in Fortune Green will more than double in the evening rush hour; this will have a serious knock on effect on local streets, especially West End Lane. The impact in terms of noise and pollution will be unfortunate to say the least. Personally I recognize that improvements are needed around Brent Cross. The plan approved is for me far too big and reliant on the car, but perhaps we can take cold comfort from the fact that the current economic climate will in all probability mean that what comes out will be more modest in size.
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