Meanwhile in the locality, I sent off this objection re a planned mega development in Prince's Ward:
pplication Number:
10/00318/FUL
Address:
8 Albert Embankment And Land To Rear Bounded By Lambeth High St,
Whitgift St, The
Railway Viaduct, Southbank Hse Together With Land Corner Of Black Prince
Rd And Newport St
London
Comments
--------
Submission Type:
Customer objects to the Planning Application.
Comments:
The proposed volume of car parking is unacceptably high. The development
should at most have some
disabled parking and car club spaces.
As noted in the transport assessment there are excellent local
facilities easily accessible by foot
or cycle and the entire City of London is within 20 minutes cycle
distance. Many rail termini are
likewise.
The area has very low existing car ownership and, falling within the
VNEB OAPF should have lower in
the future due to the increased density of housing and need to reduce
CO2 and pollution.The most
recent version of the VNEB OAPF proposes a maximum 0.25 cars per home.
Given the very central location this is higher than this development
needs.
There is no mention of the Mayor's Cycle Hire Scheme area, significantly
improving public transport
in this area, or of car clubs which provide a suitable alternative to
private motor car ownership.
There is also no mention of the proposed Cycle Greenway starting next
door to the development.
Additionally TfL are considering running Cycling Superhighway 8 to run
along the Albert Embankment
to benefit the OAPF area.
The transport report notes that several local developments are car free.
The cycle parking spaces appear very cramped. The cycle garage under
block A, B, C has only one
doorway for all the bikes and all bike parking is at double height. I
would expect to see more
space provided, across several stores not just one, with many more than
9 spaces on the ground
floor to facilitate ease of use. In D, E, F one store for 100 bikes is
very cramped. A reduction is
car parking would make more spacious and simple to use cycle parking
easily possible and allow for
cargo bikes and cycle trailers to be stored too. I would expect to see
space for communal cargo
bikes for supermarkete shopping. I could not work out the ramp system to
the basement cycle
parking. I am concerned the current plan may not facilitate quick and
easy access.
While I appreciate that the lift may inconvenience drivers I am not
persuaded that this will be
sufficient to discourage car use in favour of more active travel.
While the cycle parking complies with the minimum level in the London
Plan I would expect cycle use
to be higher in this area and therefore propose a minimum of two cycle
parking spaces per flat.
There are insufficient cycle parking space for office use and for
residential / retail use.
S106 money should provide additional cycle hire points in the vicinity
of the building.
