Wednesday 2 March 2011

Notting Hill Housing Group To Blight Northern End Of Hammersmith Grove

Residents in the northern end of Hammersmith Grove will have more in common with those at the southern end than just living on the same street. Both neighbourhoods have major developments being considered by H&F Council’s Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on March 9.

The once excellent Notting Hill Housing Group (NHHG) is hoping to build a six storey block of flats which doesn’t have one single affordable home to rent contained in the application. In fact NHHG’s planning application (see page numbered 60) states that this so-called affordable housing provider is applying for a “mixture of market housing and affordable housing in the form of shared ownership units” but then states that the project will only contain “29% shared ownership units on the basis of the Council's tiered affordability criteria.”  That means a large proportion of the miserly proportion of homes NHHG classify as "affordable" won’t actually be affordable to H&F residents on even average incomes. This is a sad reflection on the current approach of Notting Hill Housing Group.

It's also an indictment of H&F Conservatives for agreeing the structure of this scheme. They famously turned their noses up at providing affordable homes to rent long ago. Now, they've turned their backs on all those hard working people on average incomes that are struggling to get a foot on the property ladder.

Meanwhile, the scheme they are proposing is ugly, will overlook surrounding homes and is too big for that part of Hammersmith Grove. The Conservative Administration has developed a close relationship with NHHG. It’s no surprise that H&F Council recommends approval.

Local residents associations suggest another course of action. “Turn this application down!” I shall be at the Planning Committee arguing that point on Wednesday, March 9. Feel free to join me in Hammersmith Town Hall at 7.00pm. The application for the NCP car park site will be heard as well. It will be a big night for Hammersmith Grove.

1 comment:

buddyhell said...

Notting Hill Housing Group have really bought into the neoliberal way of operating and Peabody seems to be following suit. Many of the propeties that become void on the Hammersmith Estate have been sold at auction to buy-to-let landlords. I wonder if NH is one of the bidders for the many ghost estates in Ireland?
Inside Housing has an interesting article here
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/regeneration/ireland-calls-in-the-ghostbusters/6513818.article