UCL Academy: accepting applications for Year 7 from September 2011 for 2012

The construction process is clearly moving ahead rapidly, and as far as we can see, the regular meetings that contractor BAM is having with nearby residents is working well in terms of sorting out issues.

The Academy is definitely opening in September 2012 and will be accepting applications for Year 7 from September 2011. Parents should apply in the same way as for other Camden schools, using the common Camden application form. A lot more information on the academy and admissions at: www.uclacademy.com

The Academy will also be admitting 125 Year 12/Sixth form students in September next year, in order to have an older group in the academy from the start, as the student numbers build up over the coming years. This is, we think, a change from what was originally outlined, and we'll be seeking to find out more about this in the coming months.

Loudoun Road bridge strengthening - work starts mid August

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As part of a national bridge inspection programme, Network Rail has assessed Loudoun Road Bridge to evaluate its compliance with current bridge standards. This assessment revealed that while the section of bridge carrying the carriageway complies with current standards, the footway and parapet does not. There is therefore a risk that the footway and parapet may not withstand the weight or impact of a vehicle should it mount the footway.
The Council will need to strengthen the bridge in the long term, in the short-term however it is planning a range of provisional measures to protect the bridge from vehicles including installation of high kerbs and pedestrian parapets. Nearby residents have been written to on this.
Works are due to commence on 15 August 2011 for ten weeks. In order to carry out these works, parking bays on both sides of the road will need to be suspended. The disabled parking bays to the northeast of the bridge will be relocated to the northwest side of the bridge whilst works are in progress on the east side of the bridge. The bays will then be reinstated on the east side once the work is complete. Due to the importance of protecting the footway, the “Pay and Display” parking to the west of the bridge will remain closed until the bridge is strengthened.
Although a date is yet to be established, Camden is actively working with Network Rail to agree a programme for the strengthening of the bridge. The loss of pay and display bays for a period is unwelcome, as are the parapets etc, but given the safety issues there doesn’t seem much choice in this.

Oil trailer, Goldhurst Terrace

Roger and Andrew have been contacted by several people asking why this oil trailer is allowed to sit on the road at the western end of Goldhurst Terrace without any residents permit. We have asked streets officers and have been told that they will deal with this under Highways Act legislation. They will need to attach appropriate notices to the “trailer” warning that it is under observation and that failure to remove it by a set date, will result in Camden lifting it and its subsequent disposal.

We'll update people when we have more news.

Rear of Fairfax Mansions planning application for new car parking/bins/landscaping

Flytipping and mess on the land behind Fairfax Mansions has been a perennial problem we have been trying to tackle.

Now there is a planning application from owners Fairfax Mansions LLP, presumably linked to their current work on the Mansions block itself. Application number is 2011/2533/P and comments are due by 27/7 - by email to env.devcon@camden.gov.uk.

The description of the application is:

"Use of land to rear of Fairfax Mansions as 27 bay car parking area providing 10 spaces for the commercial units on Finchley Road and 17 spaces for visitors to the comercial uses and/or the residential flats above together with landscaping, bicycle storage cage and bin storage areas."

The plans can be seen at:

http://planningonline.camden.gov.uk/MULTIWAM/doc/Proposed%20Drawing-2870913.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=2870913&location=VOLUME3&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=1"

At first glance this may well clean up what is really an eyesore area, the issue however is just how many parking spaces are being squeezed onto the site - looking at the site today it's difficult to envisage 27 car parked there, as well as bike stands and rubbish bin storage. We trust Camden planners will assess all this carefully, including the position of the several trees on the site, which do soften the visual impact and are important for all residents nearby. We have written to planners on these points.

Note that the access road is not part of the application site - this is a Camden owned private road giving access to the Chalford housing block car park as well as servicing for what is now Peacocks.

Rubbish at Sutherland House, top of Greencroft Gardens

I passed this yesterday and haven taken this up with street environment officers. This has been an ongoing problem, I recall five or six years ago getting officers involved in trying to make this rubbish site less messy.

Advice surgery 16th July

I'm doing our regular advice surgery at 10-11am tomorrow Saturday at Swiss Cottage Community Centre. No appointment necessary. Beforehand I'm out and about in the Fairhazel/Goldhurst/ Harben checking out various issues.

Andrew Marshall

New Irish Centre Housing hostel: Conway House, Quex Rd, Kilburn

The Council reports today on construction beginning on this new hostel. (Andrew and Roger voted for this application on the Development Control Committee recently. Details here:

Irish Centre Housing and Camden Council are celebrating the start of building works to develop a brand new 60 bed hostel in Kilburn.

Conway House, in Quex Rd, Kilburn will be used by Camden Council for their Pathway programme which supports vulnerable people on a journey to independent living.

The development is due to be completed towards the end of 2012 and will include six units of affordable housing with family sized homes.

A small ceremony was held on 7 July to mark the important milestone of the completion of demolition of the old building, and the start of building work on the new one. Plans and artists impressions of the new Conway House were on show.

The original Conway House, formerly a nursing home, had been operating as a hostel for homeless men since 1974. The building had not been modernised since 1982 and much of the accommodation included shared bedrooms and bathrooms.

The new hostel will contain private single bedrooms with en-suite facilities.

The project is a partnership between Irish Centre Housing, Camden Council, the Homes and Communities Agency, Homeless Link, Clydesdale Bank and Higgins Construction plc.

Beware of bogus tree surgeons

I didn't quite believe this at first, but the Council is warning people against bogus tree surgeons calling around. Details below:

Camden Council is warning residents to be on their guard against rogue tree surgeons targeting homes in the borough.

The conmen have called door to door offering to carry out works that day, informing people they already have permission. This has meant unauthorised works carried out to protected trees and trees in conservation areas - resulting in their removal or destruction.

If anyone is approached by an unsolicited tree surgeon please inform the Council immediately and do not allow them into your home or garden.

Trees are an important feature of Camden and provide many benefits for the everyday lives of local residents and visitors to the borough. The Council receives over 1,500 applications for tree works within private properties each year and only approves works which are considered to be appropriate and in line with good arboricultural practice.

The Council is also warning residents not to cut down their trees without first checking to see if the tree is legally protected or in a conservation area – these cover more than half of the borough. Tree owners could face substantial fines if work is carried out without consent.

The Council’s tree and landscape team is always happy to advise on works to protected trees or trees in conservation areas and can provide a list of approved tree surgeons and the relevant application forms and guidance notes.

Please contact Camden Council on 020 7974 4444 to report a suspicious caller or for further information or email env.devcon@camden.gov.uk

Thames Water in breach of TfL permit on Finchley Rd - working too early in the morning

We all know about the two years of roadworks coming up on Finchley Rd for National Grid Gas.

But in addition there are emergency works, and last Saturday (2nd) a resident rightly complained to us about loud pneumatic drilling at around 0700 on a Saturday morning, around the junction of Finchley Rd and Goldhurst Terrace. We got Camden officers to investigate with TfL, who have reported back as follows:

"These works by Thames Water were to repair a water meter, and involved the closure of 2 out of 3 lanes of Finchley Road southbound carriageway. To avoid the major traffic disruption this work would cause if done on a weekday, TfL asked for the work to be done at a weekend.

"At the same time TfL made clear to Thames Water that their permit would be refused unless they confirmed contact with London Borough of Camden’s Environmental Health Office in advance of starting work to agree appropriate hours of working. Subsequently the works permit submitted by Thames Water confirmed this, and also stated that work would not start before 08:00.

"On the basis of the complainant’s report that Thames Water started work earlier than 0800, TfL will treat this as a breach of the conditions of Thames Water’s permit and will act accordingly."

We are not entirely sure what sanctions TfL has over Thames Water, but we are certainly determined to keep up the pressure so that residents near Finchley Rd don't get ignored completely by statutory undertakers and their contractors. We'll keep residents posted on further developments.

Public Meeting on Abbey Road Area redevelopment plans 20th July

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There is a public meeting on Wednesday 20th July at The Abbey Hive, 84-86 Abbey Road from 6.30-8.30pm at which the Council will be presenting proposals to develop the site of the Abbey Co-op and the Belsize Road car park. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposal before it is finalised and an outline planning application is made within the next month. The proposal is:

• Redevelop the car park site with housing and shops
• New community and health building at the base of Casterbridge & Snowman
• Redevelop the Abbey community centre, the Belsize Priory health centre, and the Hinstock/Emminster sites to provide housing, shops and employment space
• Improve local public spaces and road junction

We’re monitoring the process closely. Roger Freeman and Andrew Marshall, as members or the Planning Committee, need to be cautious about expressing a public opinion at this stage. Cllr Don Williams has expressed residents’ concern about the scale and height of the current proposals and is leading for us on this.