The latest campaign from SOS Avenue Gardens...

Posted on 27/6/09 by Maddy (No comments)

Councillor Nicholas True with Amanda Wilson

A few weeks back, I went along to a 'War of the Roses' campaign in Avenue Gardens in East Sheen - organised by SOS Avenue Gardens (a local campaign group) who set up to protest against a 'garden grabbing' development in their quiet street. A strip of land in Avenue Gardens, formally for funeral coaches to access Mortlake Burial Ground, at present contains one house. Yet, a development company have submitted plans to Richmond Council to develop the land into nine houses and flats. This contentious scheme is being fiercely opposed by the residents who have so far seen off two similar proposals in the last two years.

Following their last campaign, they organised a mega petition, which they delivered to Richmond Town Hall on 16th June at 6.15pm. It is just one of the ways the locals are highlighting the huge local opposition to this proposal.
Local Councillor and supporter Nicholas True was on hand to receive the groups two thousand and nine signature petition from Co-Chairwoman Amanda Wilson. He praised their efforts in doubling the amount of names they collected for a similar petition they organised last year, he said:
‘The breathtaking public response to the Avenue Gardens campaign petition shows yet again the bitter hostility of local people in East Sheen to high-density development. It is high time that those who write the planning policies, locally and nationally, sat up and listened to what people really want and do not want in their communities.
I salute the efforts of the SOS Avenue Gardens team. This is a third deplorable proposal for overbearing, overcrowded, out of character over-development in a quiet road - and to make it worse dumped next to the green oasis of the old burial ground.
I wish the campaign the same success it had the last time it faced such a greedy and insensitive proposal.’

Julia Bates, spokeswoman for SOS was ‘delighted’ by the public response to the petition: ‘Two thousand and nine voices have spoken and they are all saying the same thing: We don’t want this. We will be holding Councillors to public account if they approve plans for Avenue Gardens almost identical to ones that were soundly refused last summer.’

The plans are due to be looked at by council planning officers around the beginning of July and if taken forward will be decided upon by the planning committee at a later date.

SOS Avenue Gardens Campaigners outside Richmond Town Hall

The latest campaign from SOS Avenue Gardens...

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Posted by Maddy