Message from the Vauxhall Society:
Please email the Secretary of State for Communities, Mr Eric Pickles, asking him to rule against the building of the 42-storey Octave Tower in Bondway, Vauxhall Cross.
If, that is, you support the decision of the committee of The Vauxhall Society to oppose the Octave. Our reasons (set out in full on the website, www.vauxhallcivicsociety.org.uk and below) are that the structure is so high and so wide that it will throw into shadow the surrounding streets and Vauxhall Park; the Octave will also worsen the district’s existing traffic congestion, poor air quality and overloading of public transport.
Now really is the time for you, your friends and neighbours to act. See below for email addresses and suggestions for what you might include in your message.
Ross Davies
Chairman
How to reach Mr Pickles
The email address of the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government is: eric.pickles@communities.gsi.gov.uk
It would be polite, and effective, to copy in Mr Pickles’ Director-General, Housing and Planning, who is Richard McCarthy: richard.mccarthy@communities.gsi.gov.uk
The same goes for the Minister’s two ‘Special Advisers’, Giles Kenningham and Sheridan Westlake:
giles.kenningham@communities.gsi.gov.uk
sheridan.westlake@communities.gsi.gov.uk
….but it doesn’t stop there...
The Vauxhall Society is apolitical, and we urge you to email any councillor or MP that you think Mr Pickles might listen to.
Assuming that Labour is against Octave Tower because Lambeth Borough Council opposed it, one councillor politician the Minister might take notice of (and so is worth your while emailing), is John Whelan, Leader of the Conservative Group on Lambeth Borough Council: conservatives@lambeth.com
Since Mr Pickles is a Conservative member of a Coalition government, you might also copy in Cllr Ashley Lumsden, leader of Lambeth Lib Dems:
cllrashleylumsden@lambethlibdems.org.uk
What to say in your email
It is not the business of The Vauxhall Society to tell anybody what to say, not even our members, but the points below may inspire you.
The committee of this apolitical society decided unanimously earlier this year to oppose the Octave Tower.
The thing to get over to the Minister and his team is that bad headlines are ahead in the national media for him and the Coalition if he says ‘Yes’ to the Octave Tower.
Why?
• Because there was unprecedented all-party opposition in Lambeth to this monstrous project- one community group after another lined up to oppose the scheme
• The decision landed in Mr Pickles’ lap only because a developer and his battery of expensive lawyers chose to go over the heads of the council and people of Lambeth
• By saying ‘Yes’ Mr Pickles follows in the footsteps of John, now Lord, Prescott and Ken Livingstone, in nodding through another skyscraper Lambeth did not want, The St George Tower – now under construction
• Lots of media people live in or have lived in Lambeth, and newspapers - among them the Evening Standard, The Independent and i group - are following the Octave story.
• A ‘Yes’ decision would be a gift to headline writers, who will interpret it as a pointer to the Coalition behaving much the same as New Labour, and the headlines will have fun with Mr Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ meaning big buildings whether people want them or not
• The phones will be ringing asking local celebrities what they make of a ‘Yes’ decision – would Mr Pickles risk a ‘Woolas Moment’ with Vauxhall’s Joanna Lumley if she hears he’s agreed to a cut in sunshine for one of the poorest wards in Vauxhall because of Octave’s shading of Vauxhall Park?
• Vauxhall Park won a Green Flag Award for excellence for the fourth time in 2010; Mr Pickles’ department sponsors the Green Flag award
Showing posts with label Octave Tower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Octave Tower. Show all posts
Monday, 10 January 2011
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Octave tower comes crashing down...
By Pete Morris of Viva Vauxhall
The planning application for the 149m Octave tower on the Bondway storage site was rejected last night. In a stunning victory for local campaigners, the planning committee slammed the bulk and height of the tower, the negative impact on the Vauxhall Conservation Area, loss of amenity for residents and loss of local employment space.
There was an impressive turnout of objectors, including Viva Vauxhalls¹s Jimmy and Andrea as well as contributions from Cllr Sawdon, Kennington Association, Waterloo Community Development Group and the Friends of Vauxhall Park.
Councillors accused the developer - which has already announced it¹s intention to appeal - of giving ³two fingers² to residents and the planning committee in its macho response, and its refusal to tone down the scheme after an earlier critical meeting.
The decision appears to mark a fight-back against the drift towards a Œhigh-rise¹ Vauxhall, and the planning committee said that it was concerned that developers did not appear to be taking into account the social impact of their schemes.
The application will now be heard later in the year at a full public planning inquiry.
The planning application for the 149m Octave tower on the Bondway storage site was rejected last night. In a stunning victory for local campaigners, the planning committee slammed the bulk and height of the tower, the negative impact on the Vauxhall Conservation Area, loss of amenity for residents and loss of local employment space.
There was an impressive turnout of objectors, including Viva Vauxhalls¹s Jimmy and Andrea as well as contributions from Cllr Sawdon, Kennington Association, Waterloo Community Development Group and the Friends of Vauxhall Park.
Councillors accused the developer - which has already announced it¹s intention to appeal - of giving ³two fingers² to residents and the planning committee in its macho response, and its refusal to tone down the scheme after an earlier critical meeting.
The decision appears to mark a fight-back against the drift towards a Œhigh-rise¹ Vauxhall, and the planning committee said that it was concerned that developers did not appear to be taking into account the social impact of their schemes.
The application will now be heard later in the year at a full public planning inquiry.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
From Viva Vauxhall:
As you may have heard there is a planned proposal to build a 150m high tower in Vauxhall (Bondway Commercial site next to the bus station).
Letters have gone out to those who objected to the original planned proposal giving notice that the date for the planning decision by the Lambeth Planning Application Committee has now been set for 24 March.
The recommendation for this application is to 'Minded to Grant Permission'.
The proposed Octave Tower is yet another major high rise development to be granted planning permission before the end of the consultation period for the VNEB Opportunity Area Framework, which proposes clusters of tall buildings (benchmark 150 m) of the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea area.
One has to suspect that despite the limited public consultation regarding the Octave Tower this is yet another foregone conclusion.
However, the Planning Application Committee meeting is open for anyone to attend. Objectors who wish to speak at the meeting can request to do so by contacting mmannion@lambeth.gov.uk or 020 7926 2183 (Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW).
Speakers get three minutes to speak, if anyone feels that way inclined; it is also possible to propose a representative to speak on behalf of a group, who may get more time allocated to them.
But it's the people in the public gallery that can make a real difference by making their feelings known.
There is also still time to sign Viva Vauxhall's petition against the Octave Tower.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-octave-tower.html
As you may have heard there is a planned proposal to build a 150m high tower in Vauxhall (Bondway Commercial site next to the bus station).
Letters have gone out to those who objected to the original planned proposal giving notice that the date for the planning decision by the Lambeth Planning Application Committee has now been set for 24 March.
The recommendation for this application is to 'Minded to Grant Permission'.
The proposed Octave Tower is yet another major high rise development to be granted planning permission before the end of the consultation period for the VNEB Opportunity Area Framework, which proposes clusters of tall buildings (benchmark 150 m) of the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea area.
One has to suspect that despite the limited public consultation regarding the Octave Tower this is yet another foregone conclusion.
However, the Planning Application Committee meeting is open for anyone to attend. Objectors who wish to speak at the meeting can request to do so by contacting mmannion@lambeth.gov.uk or 020 7926 2183 (Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW).
Speakers get three minutes to speak, if anyone feels that way inclined; it is also possible to propose a representative to speak on behalf of a group, who may get more time allocated to them.
But it's the people in the public gallery that can make a real difference by making their feelings known.
There is also still time to sign Viva Vauxhall's petition against the Octave Tower.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-octave-tower.html
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Petition against the Octave Tower, Vauxhall
Viva Vauxhall has set up an online petition against the proposed Octave Tower (to be built on the Bondway site, next to the Vauxhall Bus Station).
Link: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-octave-tower.html
Link: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-octave-tower.html
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