Planning Reports

Spring 2013

The Planning Committee continues to have a busy time and a great debt of gratitude is once again owed to the long-suffering but never complaining Planning Committee members, Diana Eyre, John Villiers, Virginia Newman, Stephen Higgins and Peter Ungar. Westminster City Council has consulted us on 210 applications in the past six months, 51 of which included basement excavations. The Society raised objections to 31 of these applications. Frustratingly, Westminster City Council has not yet formalised its policy to restrict the excavation of the excessive and unsustainable basement developments which plague St John’s Wood and cause our residents an unacceptable loss of amenity. The Council has approved the vast majority of basement applications and we are continuing to apply pressure to all those who are in a position to effect change, so that Westminster’s current woefully vague basement policy is improved. Read More..

Spring 2012

2011 proved to be the year in which the Society’s Planning Committee forged closer working relationships with a wide array of residents: our MP, Karen Buck, Westminster City Council’s hard-working case officers and our ward councillors, in particular Cllr. Lindsey Hall. It is essential that the Society works hard to maintain our credibility so we can exert some influence on those who share the responsibility to preserve the character of our area...Read More.

Autumn 2011

Westminster City Council has consulted the Society on 188 applications in the past six months, 49 of which we have reviewed in July alone. Planning  Committee members and long-term St John’s Wood residents Diana Eyre, John Villiers (Chartered Surveyor), Virginia Newman (Architect) and Stephen Higgins continue to donate an enormous amount of their time and professional expertise to the Society. Despite being overloaded by current work commitments, architects Peter Ungar and Robin Snell also continue to be available to comment on complicated or contentious applications...Read More

Spring 2011

The planning committee has had a busy six months during which Westminster City Council has consulted us on 229 applications. Sometimes the complexity of large schemes makes it necessary to meet with the developers or architects but unfortunately we currently lack the time and resources to meet with applicants with smaller proposals. Similarly, although I always try to reply to all the letters and emails sent to me by residents and members, very occasionally this is not possible. I would like to assure you though that your comments are nonetheless circulated to all the committee members and recorded on the Society’s database against the applicable property for posterity ...Read More

Autumn 2010

The Society’s planning committee, under the chairmanship of Andrew Mainz,has had a busy six months as we have reviewed a total of 193 applications since January 2010. The enthusiasm, good humour and high level of professional expertise of my fellow committee members, John Villiers, Diana Eyre, Virginia Newman, Stephen Higgins, Peter Ungar and Robin Snell, makes this task much more enjoyable than it might otherwise be.   Despite the fact that the committee has now to meet twice a month to cope with the volume of applications, most members rarely miss a meeting and they are totally committed to the  conservation of the unique character of St John’s Wood...Read More 

Spring 2010

The Planning Committee has reviewed 161 applications in the six month period July–December 2009 which represents a 20% reduction in the number of applications received for the same period in 2008. We have, however, not been able to enjoy the slight lull in the number of applications we have received due to the complexity and size of a few developments. The most significant large application currently under review is the redevelopment of the EDF site at 36-44 Lodge Road. We have also recently been consulted on the revised application for the Barracks redevelopment submitted by the Eyre Estate. Amanda Coulson has informed us that the council’s planning sub committee, headed once again by Cllr Robert Davis, will meet in February 2010 to consider the amended application. The Society’s response to Westminster Council was submitted in January 2010 and provides a good example of the planning issues on which we can respond and also the depth of detail that is required so that our comments are taken seriously. It may therefore be useful to members to see our full response to the council which was as follows...Read More

Autumn 2009

It has been a busy year for the Planning Committee and we have had to start meeting twice a month to cope with the number and complexity of the applications we have received. The quantity of applications received dipped in the earlier part of the year to reflect the economic downturn but is now back up to the previous level of approximately forty a month...Read More