Local developments

Members of the Association will be aware of our objections to the Planning Brief for the Rainbow Estate, which was prepared on behalf of Merton’s Planning Department by the land owner, “Workspace Group”.
 
Our concerns were set out in the August 2012 copy of The Guide and may be read here. These were also submitted to Merton Council, as part of the public consultation exercise 
 
The key issues are:       

• The loss of jobs from the Borough, despite what the owner claims.
• The inappropriateness of the site for a residential development of 250 dwellings, surrounded as it is by railway lines and with only a single restricted access point,
• The pressures such a development would put on infrastructure, particularly the lack of local primary school places,
• The severe lack of car parking provisions,
• The total absence of any thought being given to alternative proposals,
• The impracticality of the sketchy proposals to improve the southern access to Raynes Park Station, which were offered as a “carrot” to the community. 

In 2012 the Planning Department’s proposals, together with the results of the public consultation, were submitted to the Merton Planning Advisory Committee on the 20 September 2012. Strong concerns were raised by Councillors Chris Edge and Diane Neil Mills, and David Freeman (Raynes Park and West Barnes Residents Association) regarding the brief. Issues raised included the level of involvement of the landowner Workspace in drafting the brief, examples from other councils of planning briefs being prepared with the landowners’ involvement; whether it would be viable to start the planning brief again; concerns over the impact on infrastructure of the proposals within the draft brief. The Meeting resolved:

 
Further details may be found at: http://www.merton.gov.uk/environment/planning/planningpolicy/bpac.htm  

  

More about our views on this proposed Planning Brief for the Rainbow Estate may be read here.