The 'West London Orbital Railway' - from Hounslow, via Old Oak Common, Harlesden and Neasden, towards Hendon or Cricklewood (or both!)

The 'turn south at Cricklewood' option

The 'turn north at Cricklewood' option

2017-09 West London Alliance - 7. West London Orbital Rail Progress and Next Steps by scribdstorage on Scribd

(Old Oak Common HS2 station is roughly
where the 'North London Line' wording is.)

[Reposted] - (1) Five years ago: The problem. (2) One year ago: The response of the Mayor of London: the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation

South of Willesden Junction station is Cargiant ('Old Oak Park' is now the posh name): Videos of September 2015, January 2016 and July 2016

Cargiant is between Willesden Junction and the canal.
A new station on the West London Line is planned.

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."

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."

OPDC: Regulation 19 consultation on Local Plan: Excitement Builds

2017-06 Opdc-revised Draft Local Plan Leaflet-june2017 by scribdstorage on Scribd

BlogThis!

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."

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."

Sat 24 June: Local Plan Consultation Conference

GUA Conference June2017 by scribdstorage on Scribd

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."

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.

Willesden Junction station - doing it up, but not the full monty

2017-04 OPDC 51. Willesden Junction Station Feasibility Study 0 by scribdstorage on Scribd

Tue 2 May: Mitre Yard - "Another valuable quantum in the palette of the urban fabric", or, "there goes the neighbourhood"

2017-05-02 Mitre Yard Presentation Event and InformationSL by scribdstorage on Scribd

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."

HS2 Independent Design Panel - What's wrong with Old Oak Common

HS2-IDP-Chair s Report 2[1] by scribdstorage on Scribd

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

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."

[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

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."