The Planning Inquiry is now listed for hearing to start on 5 November 2024.

The following statement has been submitted to the Planning Inspector.

Representation to the Planning Inspector conducting the Inquiry into The Stag Brewery
Planning Applications
22/0900/OUT: housing/mixed use development
22/0902/FUL: secondary school and all-weather pitch

1. I Richard White make this statement to set out my objections to these planning
   applications.
2. I am resubmitting the statement I filed on 11 April 2024 as requested by the
   Planning Inspectorate. I have taken the opportunity to update the statement, as
   set out in Bold.
3. I have been working with the Mortlake Brewery Community Group and the Mortlake
   with East Sheen Society. I support their position as set out in their Rule 6 statement and
   do not wish to repeat their arguments.
4. There are matters which I wish to draw to the Inspector’s attention, which other
   objectors may feel distract from their main arguments.
5. Being an interested local resident I have kept a close eye on developments and
   studied the local authority website from time to time. In December 2023 I noted that 89
   letters of support had been uploaded to the site by the developer.
6. I attach these as Appendix A. [I have not reattached these to avoid unnecessary
   duplication. Should the Inspector require them I can provide them.] {Or to subscribers.}
7. I quote briefly from the covering letters submitted to the Council by the developer in
   July 2023, at the time the applications came before the Planning Committee.
   “64 of the letters (Appendix A) are from individuals within the community of Mortlake
   and wider Richmond Council boundaries, eleven are from individuals from nearby areas
   such as Isleworth and Roehampton who use the same road network and can benefit
   from the commercial amenities like the cinema. ..
   “They have given their consent for their representations to be sent to Richmond
   Council and uploaded on Richmond Councils website. These supporters have agreed
   to the contents of this letter which are submitted on their behalf, urging you to grant
   consent for the proposals to transform a brownfield site into a state-of-the-art multi-use
   hub.”
8. I was interested to see that a number of names related to people living near to me.
   Enquiries have been made of eleven people which established that none of them had
   agreed to their names being used, and were not aware of the existence of the letters.
   Who knows how many more were not genuine?
9. Inquiries made of the local authority have now established that they were presented
   to the Planning Committee in July 2023.
10. I raised the matter with the local authority. My email correspondence with Lucy
    Thatcher, the Strategic Applications Manager for Richmond Council, is attached
    separately as Appendix B. {Also separately available} I do not consider that I have had a satisfactory explanation. As of today I have not had a reply to an email I wrote on 22 March in spite of a
    reminder.
11. As at 16 September 2024 that remains the position.
12. I highlight the explanation provided to the Council by the developers as set
    out in my email exchange with Lucy Thatcher.
    “We collected our supportive representations via the stag-brewery.co.uk
    website. Residents were required to fill out their details (Name, Address, Email)
    via a support form on the home page of the website and agree to the privacy
    policy. As per the privacy policy Clicking send on the support form will sign you
    up to the campaign and generate a letter of support in your name for the two
    planning applications being brought forward for the Stag Brewery.”
13. As with the response set out in paragraph 7 these statements are simply
    untrue.
14. People I have spoken to locally are concerned about what is regarded as a fraud on
    the local community. Unless there is a satisfactory explanation forthcoming, it raises
    questions about the trust to be afforded to the developers, especially in the context of
    what might be several years of future work.
15. If I am provided with what I regard as a satisfactory explanation, I shall draw that to
    the attention of the Inspector. I have had no further explanation.
16. While writing I would like to add that as a keen sportsman I have major concerns
    about the planned loss of Other Open Land of Townscape Importance (OOLTI) and
    sports fields.
    Richard White is a retired solicitor and former Tribunal Judge
    11 April 2024
    richard.ahwhite@btopenworld.com
    Resubmitted 16 September 2024