2017-10-22

Until 17 Nov: Consultation on London Overground stations


Hythe Road, on the West London Line:









Old Oak Common Lane, on the North London Line:











"We are holding public events to give people the chance to ask questions and meet the project team. These events are taking place at:
The Nadi Park Royal
260 Old Oak Common Lane
London
NW10 6DX

Monday 30 October: 12:30 – 19:30
Saturday 4 November: 10:30 – 16:00
Monday 6 November: 12:30 – 19:30"


https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/london-overground/old-oak-common/?cid=old-oak-common

2017-10-05

Evening Standard: "Genesis starts work on first major housing scheme at Old Oak Common"


Link to web site

"Work has begun on the first major housing development at Old Oak Common — six years after it was identified as London’s biggest regeneration project.

"More than 600 new homes for rent will be built at the Oaklands site near the Grand Union Canal at Willesden. Forty per cent of the properties will be designated as affordable.

"The £175 million scheme is a joint venture between housing association Genesis and Championship football club Queens Park Rangers."

2017-10-03

LookWestLondon: 'Genesis development does a press release'


Click above to enlarge
or HERE for web site

"James Murray, the Deputy Mayor of London and Liz Peace CBE, the Chairman of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) have officially started construction on the first homes at Old Oak.

"The two joined Queens Park Rangers and Genesis Housing Association who are demolishing a derelict hostel that will make way for a new West London neighbourhood consisting of 605 new homes, including a high proportion (40%) of affordable homes. They are the first homes that will be built at Old Oak and Park Royal and will start the transformation of the area.

"QPR had acquired a few pieces of land in the area when they were hoping to build a new stadium there. They have now switched that focus to the Linford Christie stadium, south of Wormwood Scrubs, and are looking to develop their land holdings in Old Oak in line with OPDC plans to provide funding for that new stadium."

2017-10-01

Barnet Times: "'A real game-changer': New West London Orbital Railway connecting Barnet, Harrow, Hounslow, Ealing and other boroughs on the cards"


Link to web site

"In a meeting of the West London Economic Prosperity Board, with Barnet Council leader Richard Cornelius a member, councillors were overjoyed at the results of the study, showing the potential economic benefits of the scheme and opportunities for residents.

"Three councillors from Brent, Neil Nerva, Lia Colacicco and Shafique Choudhary attended the meeting to praise councillors for their work into this matter, along with the conductors of the study, West London Alliance, and ask that the plans come into fruition more quickly than the 10-year timeline projected, while naming it a 'game-changer'.

"Cllr Cornelius joked:
"It is very important we pick up that comment about speed. I look around the room and people are much younger than me, but it would be nice to see this finished in my lifetime!"

GetWestLondon: "West London Orbital Railway 'stands good a chance of becoming a reality' and here is how it will look"


Link to web site

"Plans for a new orbital railway line linking north and west London have been given the thumbs up by an economic board and made a significant step towards becoming a reality.

"The West London Orbital Railway would consist of two new lines one running from West Hampstead to Hounslow and another running from Hendon to Isleworth via Brent Cross.

"... Brent councillor and West London Orbital Railway campaigner, Lia Colacicco, said:
"I had to pinch myself – I have spent eight years campaigning for the West London Orbital Railway, and now it actually stands a good chance of becoming a reality."

IanVisits: "New railway line for West London proposed"


Link to web site
(it would interchange at Neasden, not Dollis Hill)

An old railway line currently used for cargo trains could be converted into passenger use, linking parts of West London currently poorly served by rail services.

The little-used railway line runs from just north of Cricklewood on the Thameslink line and loops around West London, ever so slightly just missing aligning with a number of stations on existing lines, until it join up with the London Overground at Acton.

"... A consortium of local councils, the West London Economic Prosperity Board has now endorsed a plan to convert the freight railway tracks into passenger services and create what could be an extension of the London Overground service."

2017-07-24

The Guardian: "Revealed: the insidious creep of pseudo-public space in London"


Link to web site

"A Guardian Cities investigation has for the first time mapped the startling spread of pseudo-public spaces across the UK capital, revealing an almost complete lack of transparency over who owns the sites and how they are policed.

"Pseudo-public spaces – large squares, parks and thoroughfares that appear to be public but are actually owned and controlled by developers and their private backers – are on the rise in London and many other British cities, as local authorities argue they cannot afford to create or maintain such spaces themselves.

"Although they are seemingly accessible to members of the public and have the look and feel of public land, these sites – also known as privately owned public spaces or 'Pops' – are not subject to ordinary local authority bylaws but rather governed by restrictions drawn up the landowner and usually enforced by private security companies."

2017-07-11

Evening Standard: "Fracking could begin in London after 'multi-million' pound natural gas find"


Link to web site

"An energy company today claimed to have identified natural gas 'worth millions' under an industrial estate in London, raising the prospect of the capital's first fracking operation.

"London Local Energy believes there are oil and gas deposits below Artesian Close Industrial Estate in Willesden. It now wants a Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence from regulator the Oil and Gas Authority to drill underground.

"LLE chief executive Nick Grealy and four geologists came up with the theory that oil and gas are at the location after researching the discovery of oil at Stonebridge Park in 1912."

2017-06-21

Until Mon 2 Oct: "Draft Mayor's Transport Strategy 2017"


Link to web site

"On June 21 Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, published a draft of the Mayor's Transport Strategy. The document sets out the Mayor's policies and proposals to reshape transport in London over the next 25 years.

About the strategy

"Transport has the potential to shape London, from the streets Londoners live, work and spend time on, to the Tube, rail and bus services they use every day.

"By using the Healthy Streets Approach to prioritise human health and experience in planning the city, the Mayor wants to change London’s transport mix so the city works better for everyone.

"Three key themes are at the heart of the strategy.
  1. Healthy Streets and healthy people
    Creating streets and street networks that encourage walking, cycling and public transport use will reduce car dependency and the health problems it creates.
  2. A good public transport experience
    Public transport is the most efficient way for people to travel over distances that are too long to walk or cycle, and a shift from private car to public transport could dramatically reduce the number of vehicles on London’s streets.
  3. New homes and jobs
    More people than ever want to live and work in London. Planning the city around walking, cycling and public transport use will unlock growth in new areas and ensure that London grows in a way that benefits everyone.

Have your say on the draft Mayor's Transport Strategy

"The Mayor would like to hear your views on his draft transport strategy. You can:
  • complete the questionnaire on TfL's website
  • email your comments to consultations@tfl.gov.uk, or
  • call 0343 222 1155.

"The public consultation will be open until 2 October 2017."

2017-06-17

Municipal Dreams: "Grenfell Tower"


Link to web site

"For almost four decades, we have been taught to see public spending as a bad thing; ruthless economising as a virtue.  We have come to know the price of everything and the value of nothing…and have ended with the funeral pyre of Grenfell Tower.

"Three days after the night of Wednesday 14 June, I still haven’t written anything about Grenfell Tower.  I’ve been trying to process the tragedy emotionally and intellectually. Even the pronoun jars.  This is – or should be – all about the pain and anger felt by the victims of the tower block fire. Those feelings are shared by many but have been appropriated by a few to fit their existing worldviews, to serve pre-existing agenda. In the meantime, it seems every journalist has become an expert, every pundit has their opinion.

"I do know a bit about social housing but I'm certainly not an expert on all the issues raised by Grenfell Tower.  This is an attempt to look at some of the questions raised and to query some of the responses already emerging."

2017-05-15

AECOM to be OPDC's Old Oak Masterplanner



"Following an OJEU-compliant [that's COMPLIANT, not COMPLAINT!] procurement process, the seven short-listed bids have been evaluated and the preferred bidder is AECOM.

The objectives of the Old Oak masterplanning contract are:

  • To create a masterplan that is deliverable and reflects the quality and sustainability aspirations set out in the OPDC draft Local Plan and supporting studies.
  • To create a masterplan that will establish a new benchmark for successful long-term placemaking in Old Oak, west London.
  • To establish an overarching approach for the delivery of the Old Oak area shared by partners and stakeholders, which delivers social and economic benefits for local communities.
  • To inform OPDC planning policy.

Forecasted timeline and key milestones:

  • OJEU Standstill period — 12-22 May 2017
  • Contract start and mobilisation — May/June 2017
  • Visioning and baseline analysis — Summer 2017
  • Longlist, shortlist options (incl. engagement with stakeholders) — Autumn 2017
  • Preferred option refinement, first draft strategies — Early 2018
  • Final deliverables: spatial masterplan, phasing, transport, commercial and residential strategies — Spring 2018

The Old Oak masterplanning contract will allow for:

  • Greater certainty for landowners, investors and stakeholders on how and when the area will be developed.
  • The development of a clear delivery strategy, funding and financing strategy, land assembly strategy and business plan for OPDC as a future landowner.
  • Clarity and consensus on what key site wide infrastructure is needed and where it would be located to allow for procurement and investment.
  • A site wide approach to development, creating synergies between different landowners schemes.

Background on OPDC and scale of opportunity

"Old Oak and Park Royal is London’s largest Opportunity Area with a new High Speed 2 (HS2) and Crossrail Station due to be constructed at Old Oak by 2026.

"Redevelopment of the area has the potential to deliver 24,000 new homes and 55,000 jobs in Old Oak and 1,500 new homes and 10,000 jobs on the adjoining Park Royal industrial estate.

"OPDC was established in April 2015 to drive forward future development plans for the wider area.

"OPDC has full planning powers within its 650 hectare boundary that includes land in the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Brent."

2017-05-06

OPDC: Neighbourhood Plans



Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum and Area consultations

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council (LBHF) and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) have received a joint application to designate the Old Oak Neighbourhood Planning Forum and the Old Oak Neighbourhood Area. If successfully designated, a Forum can develop a Neighbourhood Plan for their area.

Neighbourhood Plans

Neighbourhood Plans are community-led documents to shape and guide development in the area. Once adopted a Neighbourhood Plan becomes part of the planning framework alongside the Local Plan. This means that the policies in the plan will be used to help decide whether planning applications in the area are acceptable or not.. Both authorities have assessed the joint application and are satisfied it meets the statutory requirements in the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 and the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

What does this mean for you?

We are seeking your comments on whether the proposed Neighbourhood Forum represents the different sections of the local community and whether the proposed Neighbourhood Area boundary is appropriate.

Have your say

The Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum and Area application document can be viewed online And can be viewed at: Duty Planner Room, 1st Floor Hammersmith Town Hall Extension, King Street, Hammersmith W6 9JU City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, More London Riverside, London SE1 2AA

Event

There will also be a presentation event, to explain the role and remit of neighbourhood planning and further details about the proposed boundary and forum, on Wednesday 10 May, 7.00-8.00pm, at The Co-Club, The Perfume Factory, 140 Wales Farm Road W3 6UG. Please contact the below email or postal address if you would like to attend. 

Let us know what you think by 5.00pm on 15 June 2017

Any comments should be sent to: oldoaknf@london.gov.uk by 5.00pm 15 June 2017 or in writing to: Neighbourhood Planning, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, More London Riverside, London SE1 2AA. Please provide your name and postcode details as part of your response.

Next steps

Following the consultation, both authorities will decide whether to designate the area as proposed or with amendments, giving consideration to the consultation responses and to the appropriateness of the neighbourhood area. The authorities will also decide whether to designate the neighbourhood forum, giving consideration to consultation responses and factors such as how widely the membership is drawn (including different places and different sections of the community) and how the purpose of the group generally reflects the character of the area.

Further details on the role and function of neighbourhood planning and considerations for the appropriateness of neighbourhood areas and forums can be found online.

2017-04-23

Evening Standard: "The Age of Spectacle by Tom Dyckhoff- review"


Link to web site

"When did it suddenly become a good idea to design towers shaped like cheesegraters or walkie-talkies? When did skyscrapers start getting called gherkins (even though they clearly look more like a bullet or a sex toy)? When did we suddenly need giant viewing wheels, High Lines and Olympic sculptures that double as helter-skelters? 

"The answer, in short, was when Western cities became places of conspicuous consumption and extravagant spectacle rather than production and manufacturing.

"That, at least, is the thesis of TV presenter and architecture buff Tom Dyckhoff in his book The Age of Spectacle. And it's a sound one."

2017-04-06

High Speed 2: 'Design Vision'


2017-04 HS2 Design Vision Booklet by scribdstorage on Scribd



Wed 26 Apr: "OPDC draft Local Plan: What is Regulation 19?"



"The nature of the next stage of consultations is very different to last year's Regulation 18 draft Local Plan, so we're holding an event to go through the differences.

"This will enable you to have your say in the future of Old Oak and Park Royal once the consultation is launched."

Date and Time
Wed 26 April 2017
19:00 – 20:30 BST

Location
140 Wales Farm Road
London
W3 6UG

2017-04-05

The Speculation Game: "Brexit will prioritise robotics over human training"


Link to web site

"... Laing O’Rourke recently built their own pre-fabrication facility with the help of handouts dating back to the coalition government's Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI). Such an operation is capable of churning out building components to create 10,000 homes per year. The take-up of this process will, as ever, depend on subsidies and incentivisation through capital tax allowances which encourage R&D.

"Building at speed for politically-charged housebuilding targets may well fuse with a boom in investments in robot manufacturing. The widely influential Farmer report, stingingly titled Modernise or Die, supports calls for technological advancements to the construction industry. By moving construction away from its highly fluctuating manual labour market, Farmer argues that assembly line production with quicker outputs will stabilise the boom and bust nature of the industry.

"Just as fruit-picking will not be sufficiently replaced by human labour, UK-born construction workers are scarce and 20% of the existing workforce are heading into retirement within 5-10 years. Automation will continue to forge its way into political discourse as a way of relinquishing menial jobs from society. For construction however, technological improvements will come as a necessity to meet the swollen level of demand."

2017-04-01

[Reposted from June 2015] London Overground to Opportunity Areas: to Hounslow (Golden Mile) and to Mill Hill (Wembley-ish, Brent Cross and Colindale/RAF Museum)


Boris's earlier plan


Questions to the Mayor:
Old Oak Common (1)

Navin Shah (21-May-2015):
"You have published aspirations to run London Overground services from Old Oak Common towards Hounslow (via the Golden Mile development area) and towards Mill Hill Broadway (via both Brent Cross and Colindale development areas).
The Mayor (21-May-2015):
"I believe an Overground connection to the new High Speed Two interchange station at Old Oak Common is necessary for HS2 to work properly for London. Such a connection would improve connectivity to the HS2 network, reduce pressure at Euston and support the development of the Old Oak Common area. Having this connection in place will also introduce the possibility of other connections being added in the longer term.

"TfL's consultation on an Old Oak Overground station that was undertaken in 2014 did not include a possible future extension of Overground services to Hounslow or Mill Hill. However, TfL is working with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, the Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) and other organisations to ensure that passive provision is made for such an extension to operate in the future.

"I will continue to advocate for the best possible package of measures to enable the full economic potential of Old Oak Common to be realised."
- See more at: http://questions.london.gov.uk/QuestionSearch/searchclient/#sthash.dASecDNS.sIhr9EGT.dpuf




Old Oak Common - Quality of Infrastructure (8)

Fiona Twycross (25-Mar-2015):
"Will you include provision for access to platforms on the Dudding Hill Line tracks, in the new London Overground station on the North London line?
The Mayor (25-Mar-2015):
"The immediate priority for enhancing connectivity at Old Oak Common is to create new connections to the existing Overground network. Following a public consultation last year, and extensive technical analysis, TfL have decided to progress the option which would see two Overground stations delivered at Old Oak Common (Option C).

"In designing the proposals for new Overground stations at Old Oak Common, TfL is in discussion with HS2 Ltd about providing a new walkway between Victoria Road and the North London Line, shown on the 2014 consultation plans. Such a link would be safeguarded to allow access to any future station on the Dudding Hill Line."

Old Oak Common - Quality of Infrastructure (1)

Fiona Twycross (25-Mar-2015):
"Following your answer to Question 2014/4024, have you achieved any success in demanding proper segregated cycle lanes on all modified sections of Old Oak Common Lane and Victoria Road?"
The Mayor (25-Mar-2015):
"As highlighted in my answer to 2014/4024, the Hybrid Bill proposals for cycle and pedestrian provision at this location fall some way short of TfL standards.

"TfL is about to start working with the Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation on an urban design study for the Old Oak area that will define the minimum standards required for new streets and public spaces, including the highest quality facilities for cyclists."
- See more at: http://questions.london.gov.uk/QuestionSearch/searchclient/#sthash.dASecDNS.sIhr9EGT.dpuf

2017-03-31

Evening Standard: "Sadiq Khan backs tall buildings ... if they enhance London's skyline"


Link to web site

"Sadiq Khan has warned that new tall buildings must enhance the capital's skyline rather than blight it.

"The Mayor of London also said key criteria for residential tower blocks should be that they help to tackle the city’s housing crisis rather than simply providing investment opportunities for the wealthy.

"But Mr Khan believes skyscrapers and other tall buildings have a 'role to play' in London, though they had to be of first-class design standard.

"City Hall laid out the Mayor's stance on building upwards after Westminster moved to open the door to more tower blocks going up in central London."

UCL: Engineering Exchange Draft 'Green Infrastructure for London'





"Between January and March 2017, the Engineering Exchange delivered activities looking at the state of Green Infrastructure (GI) in London. The activities were part of a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) bid on ‘Engaging the UK public with the big issues of environmental science’.

Review our draft report

"The major output from the project is a report entitled ‘Green Infrastructure for London: A review of the evidence’. The initial draft report is available here: Green Infrastructure for London: Report for Review

"Our goal is to achieve truly two-way, collaborative research in participation with London communities. To support this, we are trying something unusual. In addition to the normal client and peer-review process, we are asking community members to respond to our draft report. We are collecting feedback via an online survey, accessible here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/KB5F5TR

"Anyone can participate, regardless of prior green infrastructure knowledge. The deadline for submissions is midnight, 23rd April 2017. After this, the survey will be closed and the consultation period will end.

"Although individuals will not be cited as contributors except in exceptional cases, your comments will be carefully considered and your input will be invaluable for reflecting the wide knowledge base of communities impacted by GI in London.

Launch event

"We held a panel and community consultation launch event at UCL, 30th March 2017. You can view the panel’s slides on working with communities to implement community planning and river improvements. You can also view photos from the event on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uclengex/

Other activities included in the project:

– A CPD training course for GI practitioners called ‘Working with Communities: Practical skills for GI practitioners’. (Find out about future CPD opportunities: http://www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk/engineering-exchange/cpd/)

– A community research forum with discussion tables chaired by specialists on themes including light and air pollution; soil quality and food growing; heat islands and microclimates; water harvesting and flooding and greening the city. (Read the event report: Green Infrastructure Springboard event report and find out about other community research fora: http://www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk/engineering-exchange/community-forum/)

– A series of video interviews with specialists in airborne and light pollution. (Watch the videos: http://www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk/engineering-exchange/video-articles/)"

2017-03-30

The Planner: "Khan to appoint Liz Peace CBE as Old Oak and Park Royal chair"


Link to web site

"Should the London Assembly approve the appointment, she will lead the corporation as it builds out its plans to deliver 24,000 new homes and 55,000 jobs in West London.

"In June last year, Khan launched a review of the development corporation, stating that it would scrutinise the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding agreed in March 2016.

"Following the review, Khan said plans to regenerate the site had been left in a mess by his predecessor Boris Johnson. He criticised Johnson for 'rushing headlong' into an agreement with the government to transfer land at Old Oak, saying it was made on less favourable terms than other regeneration projects around the country.

"Peace has more than 35 years of experience in government and the property sector. She was the chief executive of the British Property Federation and has been an honorary president of the Property Litigation Association, chair of the Centre for London think tank and chair of the Shadow Government Property Agency."

[Reposted from Dec 2011] 'Transport for London': Orbital rail and Crossrail studies, for Old Oak rail connections

If you click immediately to the enlarged images, there are four slides on each subject.

As a point of detail, note the comment below about the green South Croydon services not showing as diverted via the new station. (There is a later posting on this web site, where TfL does shows them diverted.)

Please also link to "Light Rail Across Outer North London?" on the 'Brent Cross Coalition' web site.



1) ORBITAL CONNECTIONS TO OLD OAK COMMON

(Click to enlarge)

(Southern trains are presumably diverted as well, but TfL 
cannot say that, because it does not regulate them)






2) CROSSRAIL TO WEST COAST MAIN LINE
(Wembley Central, Watford Junction, and wherever)






2017-03-25

The Guardian: "How one council is beating Britain's housing crisis"


"Fancy a three-bed semi with a garden for £152,000? Or rent at less than £500 per month? Sheffield is showing other local authorities how to build again"

Link to web site

"In 2015, England's local authorities built fewer than 3,000 new homes, just a tiny fraction of the estimated 250,000 new homes needed every year to meet demand. But one council has begun building again in volume, in what some see as a model for tackling the housing crisis.

"On the outskirts of Sheffield, hundreds of new homes are springing up, built by the council to space standards that have all but disappeared in the private sector. New residents – the majority are 25-35 year olds – say they are impressed by the designs and spaciousness, and enjoy their close proximity to the city.

"But this is not a return to the era of 1950s and 1960s council building. What Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) is doing is partnering with contractors to build low-cost homes for first-time buyers and families alongside houses and flats to rent at affordable prices, and with tenants better protected."

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