EastSheenMatters

Thank you for the email with the note from the Inspector [concerning the livestream of the Inquiry hearings]. I see that you have copied others into your email, so I have included them in this response. I have added the Leader of the Council, as I am aware that he has been in email correspondence with a local resident who has drawn his attention to my blog EastSheenMatters.

I am not disposed to pursue this matter further.

The position is obvious. The final decision on livestreaming rests with the Council. They have decided that the cost is too high. They alone know why this should differ from other occasions which they do choose to livestream. They alone know the true financial cost, estimates for which I have seen to vary between £5,000 and £25,000.

I would only add this. It does seem to me to be a missed opportunity to involve the local community, especially for example those working from home or less able to travel or who cannot afford to spend a day or days at hearings. We all know the importance of developing the Brewery site. Given the level of local opposition to some aspects of the development, it would have been an opportunity to lay the case before the public. Once the decision was taken that the hearings could not be arranged closer to the development site, getting to York House during the rush hour was never going to be easy. So regrettably one is left to deduce that the Council would prefer not to expose its position to greater public gaze.
 

While writing I must mention one other point. I raised with the Council earlier in the year, the matter of the false letters of support for the development filed by or on behalf of the developers at the time of the Planning Committee meeting in July 2023 and posted to the Council planning website for more than six months thereafter. That has caused considerable disquiet locally. I have sought but never received a satisfactory explanation. As I have written in the statement I have filed for the hearing, were an explanation to be forthcoming, I would not seek to take up the Inspector’s time on the matter.

Don’t forget the Remembrance Service at Sheen Lane on Sunday, 10 November 2024.

Eight marshals are needed between 10.30am – 11.30am. If this is something you could help with please contact Anne Reeves.

anne_reeves@madasafish.com – phone: 8876 6616 or mobile – 07802 763 851 as soon as possible.

The next Bring and Share lunch with parish friends will be at Christ Church Community Hall on Thursday, 17^th October, at 12.30pm.

For further information contact

Mireille Stanton – email: mireille.stanton@gmail.com

Sue Bonnell – 07762 018864

Sara Bromfield – 07986 726309

Kate Woodhouse – email: katewoodhouse20@gmail.com

Sarah Olney MP reports in her weekly Newsletter:

“Hammersmith Bridge will unfortunately be closed for a series of 24 hour periods over the coming few months. This is to allow “jacking operations” during which the bridges seized bearings will be replaced. While I know how frustrating these closures are, I know many residents will be pleased that this work is being done and progress is finally being made.

The repairs will commence at 9pm on Friday 25th October, and continue on the consecutive Fridays at the same time until 25th November. During this period, there will also be a 24-hour closure on Monday 18th November starting at 9pm.

In addition, there will be extensive repairs on the footways from Monday 14th October onwards. To enable these repairs to take place, one of the footways will have to be closed from 9am to 3pm on weekdays. People will still be able to cross via the adjacent open footway. It is estimated that these repairs will take around 2 months to be completed.”

A link from Colin Clarke. See his comment to the previous post about the quality of the film. But avoid the bit about Jackie Chan!

The Pitch and Putt might be closing for the winter but the adjacent terrain is in perfect condition for pitching your boule at jack.

Comparing boules

A close call

Requiring close study and debate.

A fair spread

If you are interested in playing send a message in reply to the email.

BARNES HOME GUARD CLUB

A TRIP AROUND EAST SHEEN & MORTLAKE, 1850-1950

THURSDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2024 1100am to 1230pm

Join us at the Home Guard for an engaging talk with Richard White, a BHGA member since 1994

Discover the fascinating stories of our neighbourhood’s past

Enjoy tea, coffee and pastries while learning about the rich history of our local area.

This free event is open to everyone, so bring along your friends, family and neighbours.

Venue Barnes Home Guard Club 76a, Richmond Park Road, London SW14 8LA

Will they return tonight?

A local resident has managed to extract a response on the livestreaming issue from the Leader of Richmond upon Thames Council. He wrote

“The idea that this [livestreaming] would be cost free is a fallacy. The equipment we have will be used for the broadcast of committees happening during the run of the hearing so we’d have to see if it was possible to hire in additional equipment – current estimates are twenty five thousand pounds 

Also, I understand it’s not a case of the council refusing, the Inspectorate advised iwebcasting would not be necessary 

That said, I have asked officers to investigate alternative costs but twenty five grand to webcast somebody else’s meeting (the council is just the host for the event) with no chance of recouping that money is a hefty price tag.

This response is disingenuous. If he had had the slightest interest in the views and feelings of this part of the borough he would have given consideration to the local issues from the start.

A hefty price tag? Let’s know what Counsel’s fee are.

Putting the blame on the Inspector is typical manipulation of the facts – what he decides is based on what he is told. Regrettably we do not know that. But you can bet he was not encouraged to direct streaming.

Now that the Leader has come under pressure, primarily as a result of postings on this blog, we have obfuscation on the costs and availaibility of facilities. If the Leader’s concern is in not having too much local interest stimulated, all his actions will be directed to that. The local authority has given no publicity to the Inquiry. Their Planning website still makes no mention of a hearing date. You might think they are unaware the development as currently planned would change the face and education of Mortlake and East Sheen.