Do you have any ideas for matters that you think might / could / should be discussed on or in a local news bulletin? If you want to put forward an idea for discussion you can make a comment on the link below.
OR you can send an email privately to adamski21007@gmail.com.
OR you could be at the Hare & Hounds Garden Market this morning where ideas can be discussed.
Don’t forget the Market this Saturday 11am to 1pm. Polly the Face Painter and the Sheen Artists are back.
The evening on 25 June 2024 was billed as an opportunity to question your candidates on the Mortlake Brewery development and local and national issues. Some 70 attendees were asked to identify the top issues for the candidates to address. It was disappointing that the UK’s relationship with the EU was not even an option for discussion. The national Brexit omertà seemed to be alive and well at the local hustings.
The four candidates present were Laura Coryton (Labour), Sara Gezdari (Conservative), Sarah Olney (Lib Dem) and Chas Warlow (Green). The Chair, Dame Una O’Brien, asked for opening remarks about the brewery development. The following commentary is based on notes taken by blog subscriber Richard Barfield.
The bold sections are added as comments on what the candidates said – or did not say. They are written in the (almost) certain knowledge that the Lib Dems will win Richmond Park and this event was more important for what was said about the Mortlake Brewery development.
Sarah Olney focused on the proposed investment of £41 million (from the DfE) for a secondary school offering technology, science, engineering etc. She pointed out that travelling distances to schools are currently an issue for students. She noted that in last September, 82 students could not be placed in their first-choice schools and that the population in the area is expected to increase. She noted that the DfE had been asked twice to look at the need for a secondary school and they had concluded both times that one was needed. She went on to say there were only three schools on this side of the river and that there will be increasing demand in the future from the development of the brewery site and the Kew retail site. She pointed out that government funding through local councils is only available for new schools and not the expansion of existing schools.
One of the problems here is that the DfE conclusions were based on figures provided by Achieving for Children, which have long been challenged. The assertions are highly speculative: few of the 1085 residential units are likely under existing plans to be suitable for parents whose children might attend that school. Sarah Olney carefully avoided anything about the fact that this would be a school for 1200 pupils, which would have major implications for traffic and infrastructure in the area. In any event Richmond Park Academy has stated publicly that it could provide for any likely additional children. Future residents at the far off development at Kew would be more likely to attend Chiswick High School.
It does appear to be the case that DfE funding is only available for new schools and that maybe provides an understanding of why Richmond upon Thames Council is so determined to hang on to the proposed school, no matter what other arguments there are. But Lib Dem politicians now ignore the facts: the local primary and secondary schools do not want this additional school; an additional secondary school diluting numbers will damage the prospects of existing schools providing sixth forms; primary school rolls are falling and pregnancies dropping.
She then went on to imply that objectors to the current scheme do not recognise the needs of others.
This is now a meme generated from the Council Central Office. It ignores the facts: 682 opponents of the scheme lodged objections. 644 donated to the fund to enable the Mortlake Brewery Community Group to be represented at the Planning Inquiry. Are they all Nimbys? A mere eighteen indicated support. A further 88 letters were removed from the Council website because many of them were shown to be false: a real fact that the Council declines to address.
Chas Warlow emphasized the importance of the need for affordable housing. Laura Coryton said that there was no great demand for luxury apartments which dominate the proposed development. Sarah Olney did not address the issue.
To this part of the debate it has to be added that from Battersea to Vauxhall there are tower blocks with empty flats. Affordable housing in the proposed development is down to a paltry 7%. This is clearly an embarrasment for many councillors and a main reason for the GLA opposing the development.
The Chair then asked for views on the transport and infrastructure implications of the development.
Chas Warlow wanted to see a much wider reduction in car use. Sarah Olney said that one of her key concerns was that the rail crossing in Mortlake should be no less safe because of any changes. She then deflected the discussion to Hammersmith Bridge being the major issue in terms of traffic congestion and went on to flag the delay in the provision of government funding to remedy it.
The Public Planning Inquiry in November 2024 will allow a fuller independent examination of these and other issues. Possible motives for Lib Dem politicians’ continuing support for the development will be explored in a future blog.
An opportunity to question your General Election candidates on the Mortlake Brewery development and local and national issues.
Tuesday 25 June 2024 at St. Mary the Virgin, Mortlake High Street SW14 8JA
Doors open 630pm. Meeting 7-830pm.
You can email your questions beforehand to mortlakers@btinternet.co.uk.
Organised by the Mortlake Brewery Community Group.
Don’t forget the Market this Saturday from 11am to 1pm. Six stalls this week.
Richmond’s Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 19 January 2024. The Local Plan sets out a 15 year strategic vision for the borough. It is supposed to guide future development and address challenges including climate change, health, affordability and liveability. The extent to which it is binding is contentious, given that elements of the Stag Brewery development do not comply with the existing or future Plan.
The Local Plan is subject to public examination by independent Planning Inspectors. At short notice it has come to attention that the public examination will commence on Tuesday 25 June 2024 at 10am at York House. The procedure and administration of the hearings is the responsibility of the Programme Officer working on behalf of the Planning Inspectorate. She is suppposed to have contacted all those who have responded to the consultation on the Local Plan (which the Mortlake with East Sheen Society did) with further information about the Examination process. She sent a notice to MESS on 19 June. Some local councillors had also not seen earlier notification. It became apparent that notices were circulated using MailChimp, which often ends up unseen in junk email.
On 25 June the Inspectors made their opening statement about procedures followed by that of the Council, which outlined their position on the Local Plan. The hearing about site allocations for Mortlake and East Sheen is listed for Tuesday 2 July.
Detailed documentation can be found at https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/planning/planning_policy/local_plan/draft_local_plan/draft_local_plan_examination
The Mortlake Brewery Community Group has organised a hustings on Tuesday 25th June at St Mary’s Church, Mortlake. Doors open at 6.30pm and the hustings begin at 7.00pm and end at 8.30pm. The meeting will be chaired by Dame Una O’Brien, Vice-Chair of MBCG. The candidates at the hustings will be Laura Coryton, Labour; Sara Gezdari, Conservative; Sarah Olney, Lib Dem; and Chris Warlow, Green.
The first half of the meeting will be devoted to the Brewery redevelopment and the second half to more general issues. Questions can be sent beforehand to mortlakers@btinternet.com. The hustings will not be accessible on Zoom.
The Theatre has had a presence in Richmond, from 1971 above the Pub, and from 1991 on its present site in Clarence Street. SW14 is an important area for its target audience. The website says: ‘Community projects are at the heart of the Orange Tree, offering something for all ages from 0 to 100. From our schools Shakespeare productions to weekly theatre sessions [at the OT] …… our work builds skills, confidence and joy in performance’..
It is hard to beat the theatre’s own description of itself. ‘We are a local theatre with a global reputation.’ ‘We are an intimate theatre with the audience wrapped around the stage.’ ‘We believe in putting people at the centre of the stories we tell.’ ‘We punch above our weight to create world-class productions of new and contemporary drama, revitalise classics and re-discoveries, and introduce children and young people to the magic of theatre.’
In 2024 there has been an excellent series of productions, all well reviewed by the broadsheets, which have illustrated these themes: She Stoops to Conquer; Test Match; Northanger Abbey; and Uncle Vanya. Currently running until 6 July 2024, is Suite in Three Keys, a trilogy of the last plays of Noel Coward. The theatre’s reputation enables it to cast high calibre actors and attract the best new young actors.
Starting on 13 July is Red Speedo written by Lucas Hnath, a highly regarded new American playwright, directed by Matthew Dunster, a renowned theatre and film director, and starring Finn Cole of Peaky Blinders fame. Ray lives to swim and is close to international glory and a life-changing sponsorship deal. The discovery of performance-enhancing drugs in the club’s refrigerator changes everything.
Looking ahead you can book a Christmas treat to see Jane Asher and Oliver Ford Davies in Twelfth Night from 23 November 2024 to 25 January 2025.
In February 2023 OTT was granted planning permission by Richmond Council to enable it to expand and create a new design. This will provide a welcome face on to Clarence Street, increased foyer space and much improved accessibility. Construction work at a planned budget of £4 million should start in 2026 with opening of the new space for Christmas 2026. The theatre will continue to present productions in the meanwhile.
OTT is highly dependent on its box office which increased by 65% and its fundraising income which increased by 69% in 2023. But for such a development continuing improvement on both fronts is essential. More Patrons and Members needed!
For further details contact Hanna Streeter, Executive Director and Joint CEO at hanna.streeter@orangetreetheatre.co.uk . Well known to Sheen residents as she was at East Sheen Primary School.
16 June 2024
The Mortlake Brewery Community Group reports today that the Planning Inspectorate has announced, though it is not on their website, that the Mortlake Brewery Planning Inquiry which was due to start on 29 May 2024 will now start on Tuesday 5 November 2024, sitting for 8 days (Tuesday to Friday) until 15 November. It will then resume for up to 8 days from 3 to 13 December (Tuesday to Friday sitting).
Mr Glen Rollings, the Planning Inspector initially appointed, will resume responsibility for the hearing.
Guy Duckworth of Reselton Properties is meanwhile reported as telling the BBC in May 2024 that more than the current meagre 7% affordable homes at the Mortlake Brewery development could be considered at a later date. He gave similar evidence to the Richmond Council Planning Committee when they approved the applications on 31 January 2024. That comment appeared to influence councillors at the meeting.
Does anyone know when a developer and in particular Reselton Properties ever provided more affordable houses than they were required to provide by a planning permission? And what financial viability assessment would lead them to change their minds? And could they be trusted to do that when their agents previously uploaded false letters of support for their applications onto the Council Planning Portal? (See Post on 15 May 2024.)
Richmond Council is proposing to introduce a School Street trial at Sheen Mount Primary School. The proposed hours of the trial School Street are Monday to Friday, 8.20 – 9.10 am and 3.00 – 3.45 pm, term time only.
The consultation closes on 23 June 2024.
To respond see School Streets: Sheen Mount - Have your say - Citizen Space
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