Borough Plan Advisory Committee 07 January 2010 THE DRAFT CORE STRATEGY PUBLIC CONSULTATION Appendix 3: Consultees comments and draft Council responses This page is intentionally blank Organisation Com Q1 - Support vision and objectives? Comments Q6Anyothercomments DraftCouncilResponse and/or Name ment Q2 - CS based on robust evidence?Comments ID Q3 - CS most appropriate strategy for Merton? Comments Q4 - CS effective? Comments Q4b - Government defines effective core strategy as; Q5 - CS consistent with national planning policy Comments 01 Foreword from Councillor Mr David cs21 Q1 Yes Overall the strategy appears sound but i do have one concern and that is Thank you for your comments. We will consider your response through future revisions to the Foster the increased density that over 2000 new homes will create. Has consideration Core Strategy. been given to the amount of school places that will be needed to service this increased density and greater improvement to current transport infastructure will also be needed. They also does not seem to be any thought given to part pedestrianising Morden town centre. If this was undertook it would greatly improve the feel of the town centre. Q3 Yes. Q4 Yes. The strategy should go further and the civic centre and transport house should be looked at as these two buildings severly detract from the look of Morden. Q5 Yes. Mr Neil Citron cs25 Q1 Yes. Your plan continues the Croydonisation of Wimbledon and leaves open Do not support. * The Core Strategy serves to transparently set out the types of development, mix of uses etc. the door to the construction of multistorey buildings in the town centre, presumably I would have liked to see some mention of community multiuse spaces n the plan. that we want to encourage in our town centres for developers. The views on maintaining a mix like the black tower at Colliers Wood. The centre of Wimbledon is congested These only need be halls or meeting rooms with a little storage space and no other of businesses in the borough are supported by Policy 4.9 of the London Plan Replacement enough as it is: the population of Wimbledon town has grown enormously because particular specialised attributes. There are a host of activities which bring people Draft that requires boroughs to develop local policies to support the provision of affordable of the building of blocks of flats on previous commercial properties, and on sites together across social and neighbourhood boundaries such as choirs, orchestras, shop units for small or independent retailers. Table 5 - Summary of town centre aims in the previously occupied by single family houses. indoor sports of various kinds, religious groupings, birdwatchers, stamp draft Core Strategy encourages a mix of retail unit sizes, including smaller units in Wimbledon Q2 No. Why does the council want to know my ethnicity, sexual preferences and collectors,etc, etc, and they need inexpensive local facilities to flourish. Communal and Colliers Wood, however this is not expressed in policy. The Centres Policy will be revised religion? What is it to do with them? Surely all that matters is that I am a Merton spaces are important in developing an open society and no mention of them was to support a mix of retail unit sizes, including smaller units. This will be cross-referenced in ratepayer. If Merton happened to contain a large number of Chinese buddhist made in the plan. As far as I can see, the omission of rebuilding the civic centre is paragraph 20.25 of the Wimbledon Sub-Area Policy. Planning Policy cannot discourage chain lesbians for instance, so what. Their presumably biased opinions would be particularly glaring. This was promised as part of the payback for permission to build stores within centres, and in the case of Wimbledon the Council is not a major landholder and perfectly valid as they comprise a large proportion of the ratepayers. Why should Centre Court and has still not been honoured. The developers have got away scot therefore has limited control over chain stores occupying the retail units in the centre. the council spend money offering translation services for the plan? If someone has free. * Wimbledon Town Centre is identified as a strategic cluster of night time economy in come to this country and cannot be bothered to learn the language then they cannot the London Plan Replacement Draft. The Wimbledon sub-area policy acknowledges expect to contribute to the planning process. How can they understand the context that a balanced approach needs to be taken to the night time economy through a of what is being discussed if they cannot understand what is mix of uses. going on around them in the wider society. Other than in countries with * Wimbledon Town Centre is a designated Major Centre in the London Plan with more than one official language such as Belgium, such services are not high public transport accessibility, and is subject to the 'central' character setting provided and are a waste of ratepayers money. within the development density matrix in the London Plan. The Core Strategy Q3. No. encourages development in the town centre on key sites within the town centre It is disappointing that you did not express stronger views about obtaining boundaries, whilst also protecting the low scale residential character in a mix of businesses in the borough. In particular stronger policies surrounding neighbourhoods. Building height and scale is therefore dependent regarding the presence of chain stores. Even more disappointing was a on the location of the building within the town centre, having regard to the lack of expressed intent to overturn the imbalance in the present situation surrounding character. Building heights and congestion are being addressed in where there are so many restaurants and especially bars in the Broadway the Vision for Wimbledon Project. It is recommended that thesub-area policy area, and so few small shops. On a Friday and Saturday night the wailing be modified to acknowledge this project, which will help guide the future of Police sirens is constant as they go toattend disturbances, a situation development of WTC. the Council has brought about by its lax policy in regard to retail premise * The strategy maintains an even balance between the need to promote the vitality of use. How many fast food outlets, bars and restaurants do we need? We centres (including Wimbledon) by encouraging retail acitivity amongst other things have more than enough. such as office accommodation and leisure and cultural activities, as well as providing Q4 No. May I point out that for most people, SHOPPING IS NOT THE for a pleasant, quiet and safe environment, through the protection of open spaces MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THEIR LIVES. There are other factors and community facilities, and through encouraging high quality design of new such as a pleasant, quiet and safeenvironment which are more important. buildings that enhance community safety. CONTINUED BELOW. Mr Neil Citron cs25 CONTINUED FROM ABOVE. * In relation to community multi-use spaces, this comment will be addressed in Infrastructure - Policy 20, through the introduction of a 'community infrastructure section that will highlight the importance of community spaces that can be used by a variety of users. * Equality monitoring is an important consideration regarding the effectiveness and reach of community consultation. Collecting and assessing monitoring information which is treated confidentially provides a means by which the Council can assess if consultation exercises are reaching all members of the community and ensure that the policies consulted on suitably represent all members of the community. 1 Organisation Com Q1 - Support vision and objectives? Comments Q6Anyothercomments DraftCouncilResponse and/or Name ment Q2 - CS based on robust evidence?Comments ID Q3 - CS most appropriate strategy for Merton? Comments Q4 - CS effective? Comments Q4b - Government defines effective core strategy as; Q5 - CS consistent with national planning policy Comments Coal cs252 Q2 - n/a Having reviewed your document, I confirm that we have no specific comments to We welcome the respondent’s support of this Draft Core Strategy. Authority Q3 - n/a make on this document at this stage. We look forward to receiving your emerging Q4 - n/a planning policy related documents; preferably in an electronic format. Should you Miss Rachael Q5 - n/a require any assistance please contact a member of Planning and Local Authority Bust, Liaison at The Coal Authority on our departmental direct line. Mr Frederick cs256 I would like to point out that the on line submission form is of a poor design. The fact We are looking into how we can improve the website to make it easier for people to leave Rayner you have to click submit after inputting your comments is not clear and the submit comments and read the documents option not easy to find. Merton cs210 Q1 No. I will support the draft if my comments on Q6 are accepted and Do not support. * Refer to comments below at reference cs2200 regarding the ancient parish of Merton and the Priory Trust 1 implemented. Q6. Are there any other aspects of the draft Core Strategy that you do not support? key diagram. Q2 - Yes Chapter 10 Key Diagram Sadly, the historic, ancient parish of Merton is no more. * You comments regarding individual reference to heritage assets in the borough are Cyril Q3 - Yes Merton must be included in the Core Strategy. Chapter 15 Paragraph 15.5 It must be welcomed and will be considered in further revisons to the Core Strategy. Maidment Q4 - Yes noted that the houses on the north side of the Bus Depot, numbers 4, 6 and 8 * The current reference to the 'large' Thames Water utility site in Colliers Wood will remain Q5 - Yes Merton High Street, were built in 1790, before Nelson lived in Merton.