Hampden Road Planning Decision Next Week

Yesterday Max flagged the forthcoming planning decision on the  application for a very big 14 storey building on Hampden Road. 

Officers have recommended that the Council approve it. You can see my thoughts on that recommendation just below Max's comment here. 

An officer approval means that the application is more likely than not to be approved by the committee, but it's not yet a slam dunk. I've applied to speak at the planning committee next week, but it seems very difficult. After the years of time the developers have had to bend the ear of officers and councillors alike, just two objectors will be given 3 minutes each to address the committee (unless the chair allows a deviation form normal practice). PLaces are allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Below are the names of the committee members. Click the image to go through to the Council's page from which this shot was screen-clipped. From there, click each councillor's name to get their details, including contact information:

Speaking at the committee is apparently of key importance. Only the major planning decisions come before committee. Such applications are normally based on dossiers running to many hundreds if not thousands of pages. So councillors rarely have the time to give each more than a cursory glance. More likely than not, they'll rely on the officers' guidance in their decision-making.

If they are to refuse an application they have to do so on planning grounds and to make those grounds clear at the time of refusal. An unsupported refusal can end up with the Council being called to account in a costly court case.

So, whilst the odds area stacked against a refusal, there are very clear grounds on which this application can be turned down. Those are provided unequivocally by Haringey's own policies.

I'm not well rehearsed in objecting to planning applications. So I'm uncertain as to the best course of action to take other than what has already taken place and by speaking at the committee. Beyond that, I suppose residents are free to write to committee members. Some cases have even seen council chambers picketed!

Picket or not, any member of the public is free to attend the committee. It's to be at 19:00 on Monday 12th September in the Civic Centre just north of Wood Green Tube Station.

(I'm going to close this disucsion to keep conversation in one place. IF anyone has a comments please make it on the linked conversation)