Battle To Save Park Road Allotments Reaching Conclusion


Campaigners look for support ahead of decisive planning meeting

Parkroad Allotments
Park Road Allotments. Picture: Facebook

With Hounslow’s Planning Committee likely to decide on the future of the Park Road allotments next month, campaigners are stepping up efforts to save the site.

The Isleworth Society is urging residents to send emails or letters of objection prior to the meeting. The location has hosted allotments for over 100 years.

It has distributed a leaflet giving advice on how to object to the plan for the site near the vehicle entrance to Syon Park and two members are available to give guidance on how to comment on the application (Rosemary on 07703 326480 and Lynne on 0951 918093).

The society claims that the application by Northumberland Estates, which substantially reduces the size of the area given over to allotments, will lead to the loss of green space and wildlife habitats as well as the felling of up to 23 mature trees.

Osterley & Wyke Green Residents' Association Treasurer, Ian Speed, has created a petition to encourage the Council to look the feasibility of purchasing the allotment site, ideally using sources of local Council capital finance like the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), levied on new homes and developments, or Heritage Lottery Funding.

The applicant says that the revenue from the development will go towards the upkeep of Syon Park and Syon House.

It is proposing to develop 80 homes on the site and retain an area at the southern end for remaining allotment holders with the number of unused and underutilised plots meaning that no allotment holder will be deprived of a plot.

A visualisation of the planned development
A visualisation of the planned development

The plan also includes a proposal to link to the All Saints Church access road and re-establish a walking route through to the Thames.

A previous attempt to develop the site was rejected by the borough planning committee having been recommended for approval by planning officers. An appeal against the rejection was declined in 2018

The site is flanked by the West Middlesex Hospital car park, the car park of Charlotte House care home and the back gardens of homes on Snowy Fielder Waye to the West. To the east is Park Road and the wall and established trees with Syon Park and to the south is All Saints Isleworth. The site sits within the Isleworth Riverside Conservation area.

The planning reference is P/2020/4292. You can find further details of the application and make comments by visiting this page.

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February 19, 2021