A Waxwell Lane resident has had her say on the development of Waxwell Lane Car Park.
Julie Waller, a member of the Pinner Association, has vented her frustrations, claiming the council has been misinforming Pinner residents.
She said: “The consultation for the development of Waxwell Lane Car Park always stated that the houses would be at market rent. What a surprise; once planning permission had been granted, they changed to 16 being sold and four being available for rent. The council have consistently misinformed us.”
“The consultation on the closing of the car park wasn’t a consultation, but a tick box exercise despite sending out emails to a selected few consultees.”
“It is my understanding that parents of pupils of Oak Lee School will be able to park for 20 minutes in Love Lane Car Park. At this stage of writing, no provision has been made to install a zebra crossing to ensure the safety of the parents and the pupils.”
“Eighty percent of donations to St Luke’s Hospice are from this car park. They were promised a bay outside their shop for deliveries. As yet no TMO (Traffic Management Order) has been raised and the council have failed to contact them.”
A spokesperson for the hospice said: “We save the council millions each year providing free care for the dying. No one seems to care what happens to our shop or the £250,000 it raises each year from public donations alone, all of which come from the car park. We are so incredibly disappointed by how we have been treated – we have had zero communication.”
Julie added that she was concerned by the amount of Lories that could be accessing the car park once work begins and the traffic they could cause.
Pinner South conservative councillor, Richard Almond, responded saying: “Julie’s right when she says the housing plan changed. The council initially planned on having more houses and flats, around the 40 mark, and had them at market rent.
“But that plan didn’t provide what they wanted and they couldn’t afford that type of development without regaining the capital soon after. They couldn’t wait for the rent long-term, they needed to raise the capital sooner so they changed the plan.
“In regards to the consultation, I would agree that it was more of a tick-box exercise, where they went through the relevant motions.
“The Generation scheme was launched to provide a source of income to the council and so far that hasn’t materialised, it’s a mess.”
Councillor Keith Ferry, Harrow Council deputy leader, said:
“We’re excited to be moving forward with the new homes at Waxwell Lane. This development is probably one of the most consulted-upon housing projects in all of London – with numerous local drop-in meetings and a local residents’ reference group throughout the years of design and planning.
“Input from Pinner residents have helped shape everything from the design, tenure, number and size of the homes to the amount of parking and the layout of the future mews. This is not just another boxy block of flats that a private developer might wish to throw up. We’re confident this will add to the character and quality of homes in the Pinner area.
“We’ve always said that Pinner doesn’t need any ‘regenerating’ – but there is an urgent need for good quality homes, and the council also desperately needs revenue to keep vital services running, in the face of continuing government austerity. Due to the change in the council’s financial outlook, it may be necessary to sell more of the new houses at Waxwell Lane than had previously been expected. We stand by our pledge that Harrow borough residents will have the first chance to buy whatever we build here, as supporting the special character of the Pinner community is integral to our goals.”
A spokesperson for the council also added that “we remain committed to our promises to make sure that deliveries to the St Lukes Hospice shop are not affected when the car park does close.”
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