As your local Ward Councillors we are backing the Heath & Hampstead Society in their objection to the redevelopment of 29 New End.
Frank Harding, Chairman of the Town Committee, has written to the Heath & Hampstead Society members urging them to object to the proposals as follows:
You may be aware of the proposal by developers to demolish the old nurses' home at 29 New End and replace it with a seven storey block of flats with a substantial below ground car parking space beneath. Two applications have been made to Camden for permission to demolish the old building (application 2012/3092/C) and for its replacement (application 2012/3089?P).
The Society is objecting to both proposals for reasons summarised below and believes that Camden should take note of the strength of feeling against these proposals not only from residents in the immediate neighbourhood but others who oppose the scheme and those who will be affected just because of the impact it will have on traffic in the area. I would therefore ask you to submit your views to Camden, preferably using the forms on its website. The matter is urgent in that the theoretical closing date for such objections is 19 July, although I believe that later submissions will be taken into account if received before the matter is considered by the officers - and that is likely to be in a few days time. You should submit your objections, quoting the above application numbers, by email to the relevant case officer, Charles Thuaire, at [email protected] <http://gov.uk>
Please therefore submit any objections based on the comments below but in your own words - and there may be other objections that you wish to add.
1 The scale of the development is not in keeping with other buildings in the immediate area, particularly in view of the enormous basement that is proposed.
2 The impact on neighbouring properties and those lower down the hill of excavating such a large basement will be significant, particularly given the sands in the hillside, and the water-courses that start at or close to the top of the heath.
3 The demolition of the building and excavations will lead to an enormous requirement to remove spoil - hundreds of truckloads will be needed to achieve this.. This will have to be taken from New End and into Heath Street. Heavy trucks will be moving in and out of New End over many months creating traffic chaos for all those using or wishing to use Heath Street with the resulting effects on neighbouring roads such as East Heath Road, West Heath Road, etc as traffic seeks to avoid that chaos. And that does not take account of the impact on those living in and close to New End itself which will experience dirt, mud, noise and disruption for months.
4 The impact of the weight of movements on Heath Street itself and on the buildings and cellars of the houses on and close to it could well lead to collapses such as have been experienced on a number of occasions in recent years.
For all these reasons I believe that the applications should be refused.
As your Camden ward Councillors we urge you do also write and object.
Cllr Chris Knight and Cllr Kirsty Roberts
Hampstead Town
London Borough of Camden