Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee (Planning) meeting 13.1.2005
There is an item on the agenda for The White Lodge Club, Syon Lane Isleworth. Those of you who aren’t familiar with the ‘lodge’ will probably recognise it better as the land which spans the Conquest Club grounds in Wood Lane through to the scruffy entrance (which normally has old balloons hanging around it) on Syon Lane.It is a beautiful piece of undeveloped land left at that end of Isleworth. It is also a scruffy and unkempt edged, piece of land which requires environmental (supportively) driven tidying up having been allowed to fall into this unmanaged state of repair over the years, to the detriment of the local residents and the area as a whole.It is also part of the original land of Wyke House grounds and has historical interest (maybe archaeological?) as well as having ancient hedgerows and old woodland which have been neglected and damaged.Who is responsible for maintaining and replanting the gaps in ancient hedgerows – and copses of trees - of which there are few left in the Borough? Can you just take out bits of ancient hedgerows because they are now in the way of modern development of the land? What is happening to the wildlife using these pieces of land?No mention of the old ‘hedgerows’ appears to be included in the application, and worryingly there is mention about fencing the boundary – so would that include taking away more?The ariel map I have of the land (albeit a Getmapping book) shows a large wood land near to where the new building is proposed. How can a new entrance to the site be opened without knocking down trees.Do they own the whole site up to road, to allow them access onto the road, or are they asking the Council to knock down trees which are on common or Council land to give them their access?I understand that there was an environmental survey (from the air?) in recent years to show copses and hedgerows to ensue they are preserved. Would an environmental report give this information?Is a check made that clearance of trees has not gone on to prepare land such as this in advance of making a planning application?Why are these pieces of land in Osterley not protected from the removal of trees and ancient hedgerows? and more importantly why is there not an agreed maintenance program in place to ensure their continued life and that of the wildlife which would be dependant on the hedgerow for survival in the area?The golf club and garden centre on Windmill Lane appear to have been chopping down the ancient hedgerows and the trees and making bonfires of the lot for the past couple of years. I thought there were protection laws for ancient hedgerows and the hedges? Or is that only in the countryside and not here in Hounslow? The land opposite Osterley park and next to the pub has been completely altered yet I thought one of the main concerns for land such as this, is that it is not altered?Removing trees from an old copse against Syon Lane will alter the land and the road and the lead up to the other open land beyond. It is delightful driving along this stretch of the road with a canopy of trees and this should be acknowledged! I particularly love driving passed this line of trees with the dappled shade, in the summer. What plans of land management have been laid by the owners of the Land such as this in the Osterley area? These owners are caretakers of the land, for the future of the area, surely? Do they have any responsibilities towards the Land for Life maintenance of it? Is it being cleared with a long term view that all this land could be prime development for housing? And consequently treated as such?Some of the comments in this report appear to be leading and do not appear to be independent. Is this the role of the report writer?One comment is about the H28 bus service and states it is 'not very regular'. I thought the H28 was a hard won bus route - won with support of Councillors to improve transport links to the area, and that it IS a regular service!If the Councillor considering the application is familiar with the history of the land, this may not be a problem, but for others surely it forms a misleading impression? For example – “Although the vehicular access to the site is possible from both Wood Lane and Syon Lane, the Wood Lane entrance has been blocked for some time.”I understood it was blocked to suit the owners? It wasn’t very tidily blocked, and for some time the access has been for a company to use the car park to keep a fleet of cars there, so it can be opened by choice at any time? Maybe I am wrong? What does ‘blocked mean’ how relevant is it to the application?Will it be fully closed with trees and reinstatement of the hedgerow in keeping with the area, to extend the boundary back into its proper place and leave only a pedestrian access? Or will it mean they can split the land again and sell off this bit with vehicle access and a plot of land for building on, because it has previously had a building on it?Should we be grateful that as the hedgerow has been damaged and not preserved and is now in a poor state of repair, that the owner of the land is now prepared to remove the rest and put in a fence which would 'look' nicer? ... !Since writing the above paragraph I have passed the Conquest club buildings at 6.30pm tonight – the entrance is fully open, the lights are on and there are people inside! Hardly unused!If it is dilapidated – surely that is down to the owners and not a consideration for the Council to feel they should use for pulling it down? If the buildings are not as well insulated as a brick modern building – maybe the original planning permission was granted on the basis that the building should be in the form of a light weight pavilion? Has anyone dug out the original planning application?Can there be an environmental report and a historical report requested to establish the state of the land from these perspectives? Can the Borough decide about the preservation of trees and hedgerows in the Osterley area and work with the owners of the land to ensure they undertake their responsibilities for maintenance and replanting - having purchased land such as this?
Sarah Felstead ● 7408d5 Comments