Update on the Leswin Place Development

Also posted in our December Newsletter....
The Planning Department at Hackney Council agreed to meet a delegation from LARA to discuss the issues troubling residents about the Leswin Place development.  Below is a summary of the meeting.  A fuller report will be available at our next meeting.

• How did Hackney council manage to 'lose' important documents for the appeal in 2009? Officers explained that the planning department had decided that the bulk of the residents issues and the council’s own reservations about the 2005 scheme were dealt with in the 2008 application. It is unlikely that they would have made a difference at the appeal.

• What exactly is the position now? The conditions imposed at the Appeal remain to be clarified i.e. details of the design of the frontage of the B1 units need to be approved by the planners and also the materials to be used in the scheme. 

• Where does it go from here? Before beginning work on site, approval must be given which will cover the construction details, the engineering calculations and issues such as Means of Escape in Case of Fire.  The Fire Brigade will comment on the scheme at this point.  Residents will be within their rights to maintain a close eye on what is happening and call in council officers if any deviation from the approved scheme is witnessed.  All adjoining owners will have rights under the Party Wall Act and an Agreement will be needed with each adjoining owner if any building work is likely to affect the garden walls.

• Why has the enforcement order issued in 2005 never been enacted? The Enforcement Order against change of use to residential for the current buildings is still on the books at Hackney, because the buildings are deemed unfit for residential use.  It is likely that the council will move to enact the Enforcement Order in the very near future.