We have covered the plans for Windmill Court in 2 posts already, here in November 2021 and here in September 2020.
Brent Council put in a planning application on 22nd December 2021, application number 21/4690, see here. Comments are open until 28th January and wil would urge any neighbour to comment.
We have received the following message from a very concerned resident that highlights some of the issues.
“I hope you can help to inform people of another poor planning proposal that will blight the lives of residents. Windmill Court is number 52 Mapesbury Road near to Kilburn Station (Jubilee Line) and can be seen for quite a distance. The proposal is to build two new blocks, one either side of the existing 17 storey building.
Windmill Court is in the same Cooperation Agreement with Kilburn Square and our planning application was submitted at Christmas for comments by 28 January reference number 21/4690.
Do you know anyone who can help stick up for our trees ? even just put it out on social media.
They are removing 13 individual mature trees and an additional group of trees ?
These are mature London Plane trees and help counteract pollution from the A5 it’s basically an Urban Woodland that’s being removed and will affect the existing residents and the proposed blocks being built across the building line too close to the A5.
It’s shocking that they could get away with it when it surely goes against environmental and climate change policies.
They are removing our benches on the front lawn and diverting our path from Mapesbury Road to overshoot our entrance to give new residents private outdoor space and create a new seating space for us over beside the A5!
Planning doesn’t take into account the existing residents which is a tragedy.
Even access to the existing building in the event of a fire will be impacted and impossible to get any high reach engines near to the 17 storey block. A real worry as we had a fatal fire here in January 2019 and these proposals would make for an even worse outcome. Yet they are only concerned with the proposed new build properties.
I do worry about the fact that they are effectively marking their own homework. “
There are 131 documents relating to this application, in no discernible logical order making the reading and study very difficult. We have not gone though all of them but in additon to the issues mentioned above, Brent Council will be delivering “London Affordable rent” properties contrary to the commitments made at the workshops to deliver Council Housing. London Affordable rent is typically 20% more expensive than Council Social rent, and tenure is not secure like in Council Social Housing. Please refer to this earlier tweet here. In summary the proposals include the destruction of 16 social units and the creation of 60 units in 2 blocks. Net uplift in units is 44. The 7 current leaseholders (in the units to be destroyed) will have no opportunity to remain on the Estate as no new leasehold units are on offer. The 8 Social rent units will be allocated to social tenants in the units to be destroyed.
Brent claim that they want to encourage active travel! Yet the current direct pedestrian route from the Tower to Shoot-UP hill will be removed and instead pedestrians will have to go through a long winded path to reach Shoot-Up-Hill which is in effect making it more difficult for pedestrian to travel, especially those with reduced mobility. We welcome the addition of secure bike parking but no consideration has been made for the route by bike out and into o the site! Shoot-Up-Hill being quite steep it does not make sense that the cycle route would be via Mapesbury Road.
Pleease see current cycle and pedestrian route in blue versus proposed in red in the picture below.
A large number of mature trees will be removed and instead replaced by small tress that will take years to mature and don’t have the pollution absorbtion properties of the trees to be removed. Of note is the arboticultural assessment was not carried in full as the assessors did not gain access to what is now the playground. 13 mature trees , 3 planes, 4 ash trees and 6 unidentified trees will be removed. These trees have a combined stem diameter of 5270mm or 5.27m. There are plans to plant 40 trees, but those are small trees and not plane trees that are renowned to reduce poplution. It will take years for these trees to provide a benefit similar to the benefit of the removed trees.
Please help the residents by objecting to this planning application.