Concrete Factory Update

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Finnegan on August 6, 2008 at 13:31

Just when I thought they had agreed to move into Ally Pally. You can never trust these buggers.

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Finnegan on August 7, 2008 at 14:32

Letters are now arriving from Paul Smith (Head of Development Control South/Planning Policy & Development) to Occupiers of nearby premises. We've received ours this morning - our back garden (Wightman Rd, western railway side) looks directly across to Cranford Way. I wonder whether residents on the eastern side of W.R. or further east on the Ladder have received Haringey's letters. Responses/objections within the usual 21 days.

Of course we all remember that the initial planning permission was granted on appeal in June 2006 - despite campaign by residents and Council. The details of this follow-through application are complex and, on the face of it, would seem to be for ameliorative measures in response to the 40+ conditions imposed on their successful appeal two years ago. This hardly means that London Concrete have turned soft and cuddly, so we can go back to sleep or our holidays.

Will HOL be working out a position on this, perhaps alongside GreenN8 and the Councillors, over the next two weeks?
Thought there might have been a bigger response to this news and timing - in addition to posts by Hugh, Liz and Judith.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on August 7, 2008 at 21:58

Eddie, I think that although there hasn't been much response so far, it has doubtless been noticed - on both sides of the tracks. I think people are still taking it in, there having been such quiet for so long, I'm sure many folk thought that this unwelcome development had gone away.

The things we must consider are the adequacy of the dust and noise measures and how to construct a regime to monitor the truck movements. They're limited on a weekly basis, but if London Concrete are up to their maximum movements for the week on a Thursday, and have urgent unfilled orders on Friday, the temptation to fill the orders will be large:

If we assume that a fully laden four-axle job can hold 13 cubic yards of ready-mix and that each cubic yard "retails" at c. £400 (i.e £5,200) and further assume the "mark-up" is about 50%, then it is likely that the gross profit per full truck is at least one thousand pounds. Perhaps someone more familiar with this industry can have a better stab at the degree of temptation to bust the restrictions?

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Permalink Reply by Boots on August 9, 2008 at 18:22

Hi,

Eddie; we live on Wightman road too, but haven't received such notice from Haringey through the post, so they're not trying too hard it seems. Is there anyway we can voice our objections without this letter, did they list an address, or web link on your letter?

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on August 14, 2008 at 13:57

This update today from the Journal:

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Residents get say on concrete factory plan

Calls for a public meeting to discuss new details about the concrete factory development in Haringey have been rebuffed - but residents will get a chance to have a say.

Despite anger among some of the thousands of residents living close to the concrete batching plant site in the heart of Hornsey, Haringey Council has not bowed to calls from the Liberal Democrat opposition for a public meeting.

Last week Haringey Liberal Democrat Councillor Ed Butcher (Stroud Green) and Lynne Featherstone, the Hornsey and Wood Green MP, jointly demanded a chance for the public to pick over London Concrete's detailed proposals about how it will control dust and noise pollution at the plant, among other things.

A council spokesman said "no external consultation" would be carried out for such applications as the outline permission had been granted for the factory, but it had made "an exception" and last week wrote to 369 of the nearest residents and organisations.

Ms Featherstone said: "People who are going to be affected should now have a right publicly to scrutinise these new plans to make sure they conform 100 per cent to all the requirements imposed by the planning inspector.

"The views of local people were ignored when the original permission was finally granted. Now is the chance to give them some power back."

In June 2006, London Concrete got the all-clear from the Planning Inspectorate for the plant in Cranford Way, despite bitter opposition from residents, MPs and Haringey Council itself.

There is now less than a week for residents to file comments and objections to the plans, made up of five reports and a set of 12 drawings, as the council's deadline for responses is next Wednesday.

Dr Deborah Talbot, of Wightman Road, has already objected, arguing residents will not be able to understand the technical plans.

She added that measures proposed by London Concrete control pollution levels are "vague" and "overly reliant" on monitoring by residents, the council and self-regulation, and "does not believe" London Concrete will stick to them.

She calls for new plans to be drawn up where "dust pollution, noise and traffic control" are "controlled through building design".

The technical planning documents include a 52-page report by an acoustic consultancy on noise control measures, details on railway hopper unloading facilities, dust controls, materials to be used, traffic controls, landscaping and levels of buildings, roads and parking areas.

A spokesman for Haringey Council said it will be asking independent consultants for their views on the measures proposed by London Concrete, in addition to its own scientific officer giving a view.

He added planners will happily meet with ward councillors to discuss the findings, and residents' feedback will be submitted to the planning committee, which can decide whether a meeting needs to be held.

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Finnegan on August 14, 2008 at 16:40

Haringey Council's "exceptional" letter to 369 nearest residents and organisations dated 06/08/08, allowing "21 days from receipt of letter" for written observations should mean their deadline is not before Wednesday 27th, rather than Wednesday 20th as above. Unfortunately that's still five days before next Area Assembly meeting (Venue: St John's Church Hall, Wightman/Frobisher jct, Monday 1st September).

Harringay & St Ann's residents (not just those on the Ladder) need to question Cabinet Members and Councillors about the strength of Council's intentions to make real use of those "independent consultants" and "its own scientific officer". Those final two paragraphs seem to amount to very little.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on August 14, 2008 at 16:49

Have put the area assembly on Events, Eddie

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