Garden: Southwark Consultation Letters

Posted 9th June 2009:

New Planning Consultation Letters from Southwark Planners

Southwark Planners have recently issued a set of 3 consultation letters to Residents, copies of which are enclosed in this post, below.

Each letter calls for Residents' comments regarding proposals to discharge the remaining Planning Conditions for three main elements of the Garden and Landscape completion works:

Landscape (Design / Layout)
Cycle Storage
Refuse Storage / Re-Cycling Storage

We have previously attached Angel Property's design drawings to earlier posts to this website; scroll down to view and download this information. Southwark require Angel to provide 251 cycle stands in total across the site (i.e. the total of existing stands and new stands).

We have suggested that this number is probably excessive in relation to actual residents' demand and usage - however, to date Southwark have not been prepared to reduce this target figure. We have also proposed that some of the additional cycle stands are most easily and located in the Basement Car Park - but we have yet to receive final confirmation of this from Southwark or Angel. Angel's proposals received to date locate new stands adjacent to the existing cycle stands along the southern boundary wall and also within the footprint of the existing bin-store, which will be relocated to the garden as part of the main works.

Southwark Planners Consultation Remit:

Southwark Planners have informed us that under the Planning Consultation Process they unfortunately cannot deal with Residents' comments related to Landlord & Tenant issues such as; Insurance, Health & Safety, Insolvency, Maintenance Costs of the Garden / Service Charges, Warranties or Security. We state this for Residents' information only - this does not imply JFRA support for the LBS position.

Further to this, the JFRA have been pressing the case for some time to ensure that CCTV coverage is provided to the Garden; to date Southwark do not agree that Angel should provide this. Following JFRA liason, Southwark have though agreed to ask Angel to provide irrigation and security fob-access controls to all garden gates - however, we have yet to see this confirmed in writing.

Southwark Environmental Health are responsible for assessing and approving Angel's proposals for site-contamination management, which includes existing soil removal up to 60cm deep to planting areas, and a barrier membrane to prevent contamination of imported top soil. Further soil testing has been requested by LBS when the current groundworks phase is concluded.

The JFRA has consulted with a locally based qualified Landscape Architect, and their comments on the garden design and works on-site have been forwarded to both Angel and LBS.

Finally, we attach the original LBS Consultation letter which was issued 04.03.09 in relation to the consent notice posted on our site 03.03.09 together with the garden design information posted to facilitate Residents' comments.

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