APPLICATION OBJECTION DEADLINE - 29/09/2022
Planning application 22/00252/ful
Wick Green, Hackney E9

***Anyone supporting this petition by signing up, it would be much appreciated if you can also email your objections to: planningenquiries@londonlegacy.co.uk - this will ensure the objections are also recorded in the official planning application.  You will need to provide valid reasons for your objections, you may use all or part of reasons provided below.***   

There is a planning application in place to extend the Trowbridge Surgery into WICK GREEN (Hackney Wick), we (as the community living within the area) object to the application for the following reasons:

1. Toxic Air pollution - The air in the carpark and environs is by EU/WHO standards illegal / toxic and removing green space will worsen the air, endangering residents' health further and raising a probable cause for a class action suit brought by residents against Hackney Council for worsening the air quality (by removing green space next to a motorway and busy A road), and so our health.  The air pollution map shows that the green vastly and sharply reduces the air toxicity - it makes nil sense to remove it.  Given that class action suits regarding toxic air have starting mounting, and succeeding, in London, it makes sense for Hackney to avoid wasting council tax payer’s money on pay-outs for senseless environmental damage that poisons residents further.

Air Pollution Data:

   •      NO2 is 46 µg/m³ exceeding the WHO limit of 40 µg/m³

   •      PM10 is 25 µg/m³ exceeding the WHO limit of 20 µg/m³

   •      PM2.5 is 14 µg/m³ exceeding the WHO limit of 10 µg/m³

(Source: http://londonair.org.uk/map-maker/)

2. Local amenity / Green Space - The proposed building would remove a vital local amenity for children, families, young and old people to exercise, play and socialise, without walking across an extremely dangerous, polluted Wick Road (where I was hit and run by a car some years ago), ten minutes west to get to Victoria Park.  This would constitute material damage to the health and wellbeing of local residents (and children and old people especially).  It is also contrary to the spirit and green space-commitments of the most recent Hackney Council Green Strategy 2021 (source: https://hackney.gov.uk/parks-strategy/#the) The park is referred to as a park on the very application plans, because it is for all purposes and usage, a park - it should be treated as such, and not destroyed.

3. Historical Building Conservation - St. Mary le Eton Church is Grade II listed (English Heritage Legacy ID: 423956) and Wick Green represents the ‘church green’.  Visual disfigurement / dismemberment of Wick Green would damage the visual impact / aspect of the singular landmark historical, listed public building of the area.

4. Established Tree Protection - The planned building would almost certainly require the damage to and / or removal of a well-established copper beech tree on the southern side of the green.  The planning documents refer to consultation with the conservation officer, but not a tree officer / arboreal specialist.  Whether or not a Tree Protection Order (TPO) exists for this tree, its damage would constitute a loss of habitat for local birds and wildlife, have profound negative visual impact, and worsen the air quality further, which is already toxic on just the other side of 20 Merriam Avenue, in the carpark.  This would draw a straight line of causation and culpability between Hackney Council and the illegally toxic air in the area that has been poisoning residents, especially children, who crawl, walk and play in the green everyday.

5. Light - The proposed building would not be small, it would 4metresni height. It would meet the level of our balconies on the first floor, obscuring light.

6. Noise - The proposed building would provide a lot of additional noise pollution with energy / AC units and the like almost certainly placed on the top of the building in an already very noisy area (because of the motorway / Ringroad and Eastway traffic).

7. Visual impact - The proposed building would be an extreme visual disfigurement of the one thing in the area that makes it look like a well-planned place in which people cam live lives of dignity, health and wellbeing.  The ‘temporary’ nature of the building would mean that the building would be a rough, aesthetically unsightly and minimal specification / finish / design, not blended with the surrounding buildings (e.g. not brick to start with), (very well) established trees and green space.

8. Permanence - There is no plan to build / secured or conceivable site for an alternative GP building in the area, so the 'temporary' classification does not seem credible - this would in all likelihood become a permanent structure through the simple submission of an application for extension of existing use (a process that has a high success / approval rate in UK planning, and especially for Class E Use buildings). The Hackney Council flood risk assessor himself noted that this structure would NOT be temporary as there is zero plan suggested or approved for an alternative site. Regretfully the application is therefore misleading, and this structure would in all probability be permanent, and constitute permanent harm on (all) the grounds outlined above.

9. Alternative site - the carpark outside the south side of 20 Merriam Avenue is always half-empty and could easily be adjusted to allow space for the structure - it is prima facie illogical to use green space instead.  The NHS has office space nearby, why not use that?  Why not use one of the many empty lots near to the Copper Box, Carpenter’s Road etc.?  The extra tower blocks (of non-affordable housing) in the east Village / Olympic Park require a GP surgery - GP services should be provided to locals there, where there is available space.

10. Wednesbury Unreasonableness and Proportionality - this whole proposal fails to meet basic legal / common law requirements of reasonableness and proportionality, let alone ecological / conservation policy and commitments by Hackney Council.  There is significant socio-economic deprivation in this very area and this plan would self-evidently worsen same, which would in turn cause material deterioration to the health and wellbeing of local residents, who have no other local amenities, facilities or resources. As such, it would be grossly illogical, socially irresponsible, environmentally destructive, and aesthetically bankrupt.  It does not meet common law standards of proportionality or reasonableness.

11. Failure to observe due process and planning law requirements for adequate notice  - The documents on the LLDC planning application pages claimed that al l local residents were notified - they were not, according to those we spoke to. Most residents with whom we spoke did NOT receive any written notification, nor was there adequate, clearly visible public signage / publication of the plans around the Green. This is consistent with prior behaviour by LLDC trying to sneak through major, detrimental planning applications in late summer, with insufficient notice - in contravention to the letter and spirit of the law.

In sum, Wick Green is essential in this high-density mixed social/private residential area. it is our lung, our solace, our momentary peace.  It is much-used all day and evening and loved by residents, for kids playing, families relaxing, local dogs and wildlife. To destroy it would ruin that wellbeing resource - a GP surgery is meant to improve health and wellbeing of local residents, not destroy it.  Please, do not ruin our home(s), health and wellbeing.

APPLICATION OBJECTION DEADLINE - 29/09/2022
Planning application 22/00252/ful
Wick Green, Hackney E9

***Anyone supporting this petition by signing up, it would be much appreciated if you can also email your objections to: planningenquiries@londonlegacy.co.uk - this will ensure the objections are also recorded in the official planning application.  You will need to provide valid reasons for your objections, you may use all or part of reasons provided below.***