West Hampstead library hours change

Amid all the discussion about library closures and the three Camden libraries that have been handed over to community groups, I suspect some people had forgotten that all the remaining libraries were to have their hours reduced.

Here are the changes to West Hampstead library as of April 2nd:

	Old opening hours	New opening hours
Monday	10am-7pm	11am-7pm
Tuesday	10am-7pm	11am-6pm
Wednesday	Closed	11am-6pm
Thursday	10am-8pm	11am-6pm
Friday	10am-7pm	11am-5pm
Saturday	10am-5pm	11am-5pm
Sunday	11am-4pm	Closed

The big change is that the library will now be open on Wednesdays but closed on Sundays. In total, library hours fall from 49 to 41.

Remember also that the library will close from March 5th until April 2nd for some improvements. The new hours take effect when it reopens.

For the changes to all Camden's libraries, download the full list.

Kilburn Grange Olympic Irish festival causing concern

Early last week a licence application was brought to my attention. Vince Power - music promoter and owner of Power's bar in Kilburn - has applied to hold a Feis Village in Kilburn Grange Park. A Feis is an Irish cultural and music festival (Power held one in Finsbury Park last year that attracted big name performers including Van Morrison and Bob Dylan). So far so good.

Here's the catch: he wants to run it for the entire duration of the Olympics: from July 26th to August 12th, i.e., for just over two weeks, and is also requesting a 2am licence at the weekends (of which there are three in that period). Local residents (those within 250m of the site) were invited to a meeting in The Black Lion on February 14th to discuss it, although ward councillor Mike Katz only found out about it that day and was unable to attend. Vince Power has since extended an invitation to meet Cllr Katz to discuss it further.

Click for full-size

The reaction to the idea on Twitter has not been overwhelmingly positive.


The licence application has a lot of documentation, much of which relates to security (Vince isn't asking or expecting the local police to be required - all the security will be provided). The application is for up to 5,000 people at any given time, and places a lot of emphasis on the organisers wanting flexibility as the precise schedule for the festival has not been agreed, so they would not necessarily use the late licence. There is also a request for Camden to dispense with the traditional maximum noise level limits although the venues used for comparison are much larger parks such as Hyde Park.

Here's the event overview and audience profile, taken verbatim from the application (bold sections, my highlights):

Event Overview
2.1 The Feis Village 2012 is based on an already established contemporary Irish music Event, the Fleadh Festival which was launched 22 years ago. The Event was re-launched last year as the London Feis Festival.

2.2 Spanning 18 days during the London 2012 Olympic Games period from the 26th July-12th August in Grange Park Kilburn, with the aim of offering a centre for Irish culture and entertainment during this exciting time. The operational hours of 11:00-02:00 has been applied for in order to give us flexibility and offer a variation in programming and entertainment each evening. We would not look to stay open until the maximum licensed hour each night just to have the flexibility to choose which days the event is open later.

2.3 Musical Entertainment will be provided on some of the days, other days will have comedy and other forms of low-level entertainment. This entertainment will take place on a temporary stage within a Big Top structure. We would be requesting permission to have a live stream of the Olympic Games at the Feis Village, showing key Irish games and events of interest.

2.4 The Big Top will have an audience viewing capacity of 5,000. The venue will be managed by our team and capacity will be monitored by the security team and crowds monitored continuously. A copy of the site plan is available as a separate document which shows the lay-out of the stage and venue. Live music will always finish at 23:00.

2.5 The event site will open to the public at 11.00 on most days - but this will be TBC in line with the entertainment schedule. There will be low-level entertainment, food and drinks on offer during the day. With live music entertainment starting late afternoon / early evening. This will not be on every night of the event and all live music will be finishing at 23.00. We would request the flexibility within the license to be able to stay open late on some nights, in line with key Irish Olympic events and provide low-level entertainment and serve food and drink until 02:00 on some nights. We will be looking at the public transport schedule and will ensure that the entertainment schedule is in-line with this. We would look for the flexibility to have the bars open until 02:00 on some nights, with the site cleared by 0230 and the site secured. We would look to close everything an hour earlier on Sundays.

2.6 Entry will be strictly by ticket only, and a secure perimeter will be established around the Park site. A system will be implemented for clearly identifying legitimate ticket holders by means of secure wristband. We would work to a maximum capacity on site at any one time of 5,000, but this would most likely be spread over the day due to the varied programming of the entertainment.

2.7 Tickets will be sold as separate day tickets and in combinations. We would look into the option of having a separate day ticket and an evening ticket to enable us to clear the site. Ticket combinations are currently TBC as is ticket pricing.

2.8 Disabled tickets will be available that will give free access for the career. Under 12 tickets will be free when accompanied by a full paying adult. We will be offering a reduced price ticket for locals who live within a certain distance to the park.

2.9 There will also be a hospitality area for around 250 seated guests. This area will be controlled via a distinctive wristband and will remain open after the main event closes. This is where we would look to have bars and low-level entertainment until 02:00 for this limited number of guests.

Audience Profile
3.1 Information indicating the performers is included in Appendix 1. This Appendix will be updated regularly as contracts are signed and acts are confirmed for the bill. Currently these acts are TBC.

3.2 The audience profiles for both event days is expected to be is predominantly mid 20's to mid 50 year olds, with an even gender split and often in couples, small peer groups and large percentage of families, partially during the day. Whilst the music will be of a broad appeal it will be mainly Irish Folk style music. The audience profile will be broadly similar and of little variation across all event days.

3.3 A large proportion of the audience is expected to be people who live locally to the area.

3.4 Under 16's will not be permitted on site, unless accompanied by a person of 18 years or over. No more than two Under 16's will be allowed to enter with any one designated adult. Under 12's will be permitted to the event free of charge but will have to be allocated a FOC ticket that can be obtained when booking a full adult ticket. Only 2 FOC children's tickets can be allocated to each adult ticket.

3.5 None of the acts booked are liable to lead to crowd conflict or "tribalism", or of concerns regarding excessively boisterous behavior, "moshing" or "crowd surfing".

Here's how the park would look during the festival (the writing is just about legible if you click for full-size version), followed by a photo of last year's Kilburn Festival (which is currently due to take place this year on July 8th).

The Big Top is the large stadium-shaped bit in the middle

2011 Kilburn Festival (stage behind camera)

The objections are fairly obvious: too late, too noisy, and goes on for too long. The local Conservatives have already churned out a response, in which none other than London Assembly member Brian Coleman says that "Music festivals are good but an 18 day event in a park in a residential area in the summer goes too far." It may well be that a majority of people agree with that perspective. The deadline for making representations to Camden is March 12th, and you can post them online.

Click for full-size version

The full documentation can be found here, and below are selected pages from the draft noise evaluation appendix, with sections highlighted by me.
Draft Noise Appraisal for Kilburn Feis 2012 Licence

The Thameslink station: Love it or loathe it

When the new West Hampstead Thameslink station opened in December last year, the broad consensus seemed to be positive.

Photo: Peter Cook

The "modest yet thoughtfully designed" (according to Architecture Today) modern glass structure made a statement but there weren't too many objections, despite the plans having been scaled down from something more interesting due to budget constraints. It also was more or less on time - and the site constraints had given rise to some construction challenges (again, the Architecture Today article has a lot more detail). Here's a timelapse video of the project.

Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone came along to the opening, and said a few words.

The large open boulevard along Iverson Road also seemed like a refreshing change although it was predictable that the green tiling wouldn't be to everyone's taste.

Fast forward a couple of months, with the northern entrance now open again so people aren't missing their trains because they can't leave the house one minute earlier, and murmurs of dissent are appearing on Twitter. Last week there was a brief flurry of messages on the topic.



Personally, I quite like the station building, but there is an undeniable mismatch between the station and the footbridge that leads to the platforms. This, as most of you will know, was in place long before the station building work began - they were sadly not an integrated design and it shows. What's your view? Is this a landmark building West Hampstead should be proud of, or a harbinger of the architectural doom that lies ahead in the next wave of development in the area. Or do you simply not care?

WHGARA's objection to 187-199 West End Lane

Local residents association WHGARA has perhaps been the most vocal opponent of the proposals to redevelop 187-199 West End Lane. Here is a copy of its submission to the Camden Development Control Committee, which it will make on March 1st.

187-199 WEST END LANE APPLICATION No 2011/6129/P
DEPUTATION SUBMISSION DOCUMENT ON BEHALF OF WEST HAMPSTEAD GARDENS AND RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (WHGARA) IN OPPOSITION TO GRANTING PLANNING PERMISSION TO THE ABOVE SCHEME
FROM STEPHEN NATHAN Q.C., Chairman

1. WHGARA represents the residents of the area of West Hampstead, immediately next to and south of the proposed development. This application directly affects every one who lives in this Association’s area and who will see – and experience the consequences of - these overbearing tower blocks every day of every year.

We speak also for the interests of the wider number of residents of this part of West Hampstead who come and visit our area who have no one to speak for them. Many individuals, groups and businesses in this community will be disadvantaged for no good reason other than the profits to be made by the developers.

2. We support and agree with all that has been said by all three of our West Hampstead Councillors, Keith Moffitt, John Bryant and Gillian Risso-Gill. They speak with one voice in opposing this development in its present form with convincing reasons. We ask you to accept what they say. West Hampstead is primarily a residential area of low-rise housing – none more than 4 or 5 storeys high. Our Victorian and Edwardian forefathers recognised that low levels in a suburban environment are a necessary and attractive feature of town planning. As a result, even the tallest existing buildings are within a human scale. Blocks along West End Lane’s going towards Abbey Road are only 4- 5 storeys high. There are no tall buildings away from West End Lane itself. In the last 40 years, there has been no permission in West Hampstead, Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, St John Wood or Child's Hill for a developer to build a 12 storey residential tower block - a skyscraper - let alone two more blocks which are10 storeys high. We have a heritage of a built-environment with a rich social mix of residents and many small businesses. Many other developers are waiting to see what the outcome of this application is going to be.

3. We are at a defining moment. This joint development by a public body – Network Rail – and its private enterprise partner, Ballymore is totally out of keeping with anything that has gone before and is closer to the ghastly tower blocks which planners allowed to be built in the 1960s. It represents a massive overdevelopment of a small, narrow and tapering site. The site may be ripe for development, but not like this. It defies Camden Core Development policy CS 5 and is detrimental in great measure to the amenity of all local residents. It goes against Core Policy CS 14, because it is completely at odds with the context and character of the area. It has few saving graces and nil charm.

4. Much emphasis has, for instance, been laid on payback in the form of a small public square, just by the railway station. In reality, it is just about twice the size of the fire-station forecourt in West End Lane. It will contribute little to our community and the reality is that any developer of the site is going to do much the same kind of thing, because a small open space is needed there nowadays to allow for the current, very large number of daily commuters who use the 3 stations which lie next to each other.

5. The size and bulk of the development is hostile to our environment and will have a chilling impact on our community. This is not central, inner London, but a lovely village, close to the centre. Queen Victoria used to go riding along West End Lane because it was a pleasant place to come. These tower blocks are going to be directly visible from a great number of places - not least from West End. They overshadow (from the south) the nearest street –Iverson Road- robbing it of light. To allow the construction of 1 x 12 storeys, 2 x 10 storeys and 2 x 8 storeys anywhere, let alone on this small site of less than 1 hectare would be unforgivable. These tower blocks will be there, long after our lifetimes. The Members of this Committee must not bestow such a ghastly legacy on this generation and the many generations to come. Get it into perspective: the height of the 12 storey block is more than twice as high as St Pancras. There is an almost complete absence of a proper analysis of this impact in the Officers’ report.

6. Although the Mayor’s Intensification Plan may envisage 800 new homes in the area, it does not mean that 25% of that plan needs to be stuffed onto one small site. The designation as a growth area does not mean that just one developer partnership should be allowed by our elected representatives to rob our community of its pleasant environment and to set a chilling precedent that other developers will eagerly follow. This development represents over-ambition and a thirst for unjustified profits by Network Rail and its partners at our environmental and social expense. The size of the buildings is driven by the commercial decision to cram in 200 or so apartments – as if this was in the heart of the West End or the City. We ask the committee members, as our elected representatives, to moderate this scheme to not more than 6-8 storeys and send the message to the developers to go back to the drawing board. The development as proposed will devastate the infrastructure and village feel of West Hampstead, which the draft Place Shaping document describes as the KEY ATTRIBUTE of this area.

7. Some of the statistics deployed by the developers are highly suspect and, as the Councillors point out, out of date. For instance, these 200 homes will produce some 700 – 800 new residents, given the mix of flats. The developers claim only 363 residents on the basis that no bedroom would be occupied by more than one person! That is obviously nonsense. They suggest that there will be only 72 children needing new school places, whereas the true number will be many more. There are just 2 doctors’ surgeries within or on the fringe of the West Hampstead Ward - So the developers used a one mile radius instead, and included any surgery in Kilburn, St John’s Wood, Swiss Cottage and so on. The calculations concerning increased pressure on public transport and traffic generally are also unusually low.

8. The impact on local parking is unpredictable because of car-capping. “Let them use car clubs” -you may say, but the Application provides for a tiny number of car club parking spaces and completely ignores the impact of residents and their visitors who will want to park – outside controlled hours. 14% of residents in West Hampstead, according to the Council, commute by car. For this development alone, that equates to well over 100 new residents’ cars, which will be searching the surrounding streets for spaces at night and weekends. And that does not take into account the delivery vans servicing the number of shops in the proposed scheme, for whom almost no special provision has been made.

SUMMARY
9. This is an Application for a completely overwhelming and undistinguished piece of architecture, involving a huge overdevelopment of a small site and one which is going to impact adversely on all our lives and the future generations to come. If built, this is not going to win any prizes – only universal condemnation for the developers and the town planners who allowed it, contrary to the local community’s strong objections and in the face of broad local protest.

We, therefore, ask the Committee to refuse the application.
Stephen Nathan QC, Chairman, WHGARA. 27.ii.2012

What have I missed since February 20th?

Lots of news this week, so we'll crack on with it.

We seem to be experiencing a mini crime wave in the area, with burglaries and robberies up, as well as some more violent assaults. A woman who is six months pregnant was attacked with a knife near Kilburn tube on Monday. She fended off the attackers without suffering serious injury to her or her unborn baby.

A 16 year-old boy was stabbed by the O2 centre on Saturday, causing chaos as Finchley Road had to be closed for a couple of hours. The victim is said to be stable in hospital; police are appealing for witnesses.

Four people were arrested after another stabbing in Kilburn on Wednesday.

A prolific burglar out on licence was caught red-handed by local vicar Father Andrew Cain and his clergy with his hand in the church safe. Meanwhile, houses in Lymington Road and Sherriff Road were targeted by burglars.

Kilburn High Road's dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Team will now share a seargeant with Camden's Kilburn ward SNT.

At the Crediton Hill Residents Association, actor Greg Wise expressed his fears over "stilletos on the wicket", as locals debated the plans for South Hampstead School to move onto the cricket club grounds (which it owns) for two years. Other residents were more concerned with parking, traffic and noise.

Camden's large-scale plans to redevelop the Abbey area estates will have to go to City Hall having been deemed non-compliant.

The man who was told to stop using his flat as a workshop, is now to be evicted.

Diane West is West Hampstead Community Centre's new manager. The centre in Dornfell Street will host an art gallery day on the last Monday of every month, starting today.

Concern is being expressed at Vince Powers' application for a Feis festival village in Kilburn Grange Park for the duration of the Olympics, with a 2am licence on Fridays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, the Tricycle Theatre will host the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic delegation.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill bought out Peacocks, but the Finchley Road branch will be closed. Specsavers has opened next door though.

47 Fairfax Road (currently trading as Hampstead Gallery Antiques) has been refused planning permission to become a takeaway, on the basis that it would result in an increase in late night activity, noise and disturbance.

Remember the story of the café refused planning permission due to an autistic child? The owners are appealing. They've restricted the new plan to just a café with no deli and have lots of supporting information to try and show no noise impact.

West Hampstead men's hockey team continues its rich vein of form.

There have been endless complaints about Virgin Media broadband's erratic performance in the area. One customer was told by the company that NW6 will have intermittent problems til mid March.

A new choir is seeking singers of all abilities. Tweet @StMark_HT for information.

Coming up
Musician and journalist Charles Shaar Murray performs tonight at Brioche from 7.30pm.
The next Neighbourhood Development Plan meeting is on the 28th at the Community Centre Dornfell St 7.30pm.
On March 3rd, the Priory Tavern hosts a Welsh night!

Tweet of the Week
After another bad week on the tubes: 

Finchley Road's glacial history

A chance tweet yesterday drew my attention to this local fact: the glacier that covered almost all of the British Isles in the last age stopped - just like the Jubilee and Met Lines (and moving at about the same speed as the Jubilee earlier this week) - at Finchley Road. Change here for "milder temperatures".

Thanks to @Tetramesh for then sending me the link to this BBC documentary where no less a glaciologist than Alan Titchmarsh explains more (ff to 23m57s)

Abbey Area Development will go to City Hall

Those of you living at the southern end of the neighbourhood are probably already up to speed with the extensive plans to redevelop the Abbey area estate at the Belsize Road/Abbey Road junction. There has already been a public consultation on this.

If you're not sure what this is, The Abbey Area Redevelopment Project is a part of Camden's estate regeneration programme approved in December 2007. The proposals involve the demolition and replacement of 70 homes at Emminster and Hinstock, a community centre health centre and some shops along with the existing Belsize Road multi-storey car park. Casterbridge and Snowman House tower blocks (the two big ones the east side of Abbey Road) would be retained with alterations proposed at the base of the buildings.

The new scheme will provide up to 299 homes including provision for larger family accommodation for affordable rent, some new homes for shared ownership and private sale.

Click for full-size version

The proposals also allow for the delivery of new community and health facilities at the base of the retained Casterbridge and Snowman House tower blocks along with new retail and business space to support the existing and new community. Here's what the plans look like.

As you can see, it's a large-scale development. Just for a bit of historical context, here's what the site looked like in 1940.

I can't immediately find evidence that this site was bombed, but it seems highly likely given that railways were targeted. The area was redeveloped in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Grade II listed Alexandra & Ainsworth estate (aka Rowley Way), which is outside the scope of this plan. The site also is adjacent to the proposed HS2 line out of Euston, however, HS2 shouldn't affect these current plans, which would be underway well before HS2 construction starts in earnest. (There is an issue down the other end of Rowley Way with an access shaft for HS2, but that's for another post.)

As would be expected for a development of this size, City Hall has already responded to the plans. There are a few areas where they are non-compliant with the London plan, and the final application will have to go before City Hall and cannot just be passed by Camden. The devil here is largely in the detail. Here's the relevant extract from the report:

"London Plan policies on land use, housing, estate renewal, affordable housing, housing choice, density, child playspace, tall buildings, design, inclusive access, noise, climate change and transport are relevant to this application. The application complies with some of these policies but not with others, for the following reasons:

• Land use: The principle of this residential led estate renewal scheme is supported
• Housing, estate renewal, affordable housing and housing choice: Further discussion is needed on viability, tenure mix and minimum levels of affordable family housing
• Density: the density should be calculated using the indicative scheme and in line with London plan guidance.
• Child playspace: a playspace strategy should be submitted and off-site improvements committed to
• Tall buildings and design: the design principles are generally supported however further discussions is needed on materials and the appearance of the tall building in particular
• Inclusive access: Further information and commitments are needed.
• Noise: Further information and commitments are needed.
• Climate change: Further information and commitments are needed.
• Transport: Further information and commitments are needed."

Some of these issues sound a bit like dotting the i's, but others - the child playspace and the tenure mix of units - present more of a challenge to the developers. You can read the full report here.

Camden's planning site has all the documents related to the plan, including the reports on the retail situation - will Oscar's Den be given first option on a new retail space? We can but hope.

Meanwhile, here's an annotated copy of the full proposals (look out for the pages with the big green ticks, and the red outlines). Click on the title for access to the full-size version.

Abbey Area Redevelopment Project

Whampreview coming up: Little Bay

It's an institution, but is it any good?

On March 8th, whampreview moves to Little Bay. Not familiar with it? Where have you been? The ultimate cheap and cheerful restaurant began life at this Belsize Road location, although has since opened a few branches further afield. The quirky interior and value-for-money menu have made it a perennial favourite, but how well will it withstand the scrutiny of whampreview?

Street View blurs the face of the stone god!

There are 24 places available for the evening, and this will be one of the cheapest whampreviews we've done with a three course meal coming in under £15 before drinks.

As usual, if the event is oversubscribed then names will be drawn out of a hat next Monday (27th).

Whampreview basics: dinner will be at 8pm and we'll meet at the Priory Tavern for a drink from 7pm. During the evening whoever is running your table (the plan is three tables of eight people) will note down comments about the food/service/value etc., which will go into the write-up, although the evening is more about meeting people than being ultra-critical about restaurants. The bill is split equally between your table unless there's been a large discrepancy in consumption. Any questions, just ask.

To put your name forward, or tweet me @WHampstead before the end of the week. If your name is picked, I will need a mobile number and active e-mail address from you. Please don't commit to this on the offchance - we're making a reservation for a large group at the restaurant so it's not fair on them if we suddenly have lots of dropouts.

Of course, I understand there are always one or two genuine last-minute dropouts, so even if you're unlucky, I may come back to you at short notice to see if you're still interested.

Read more about whampreview.

What have I missed since February 13th?

It may have been Valentine's week, but there was no love lost between David Haye and local boxer Dereck Chisora as they traded blows in Munich. What made the headlines closer to home though?

The West Hampstead and Fortune Green Neighbourhood Development Plan got rolling.

I reported back on the previous week's placeshaping meeting.
 
A man living rough off Billy Fury Way was encouraged into accommodation in the cold weather.

A map shows how much deprivation levels in the area vary.

Police warned residents about a Safer Neighbourhoods scam. Burglaries and attempted burglaries also triggered a warning to close communal doors to flats.

A bus driver suffered GBH on West End Lane on Thursday about 6pm; police are asking for witnesses (020 8721 2697).

A local man was warned he had to stop building large contraptions in his flat.

The Tricycle's departing artistic director Nicolas Kent spoke to The Guardian about his time at the theatre and reasons for leaving.

Tom roadtested the menu at One Blenheim Terrace.

Greene King updated us on developments at The Lion.

West Hampstead library will close for a month in March.

Sushi Gen will be closed on Tuesdays from now on.

Work starts this week on the "cycle permeability" scheme in West Hampstead. Sherriff Road, Gascony Avenue, and Smyrna Road will NOT be changing to two-way following the consultation. The other roads in scope will be re-signed accordingly.

A review of Camden's parking controls starts in March.

Tweet of the Week
Another week of stiff competition, but as it was Valentine's week, this one seemed by far the most appropriate. Ahem.

First meeting for West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Plan

Under the Localism Act, communities can form a Neighbourhood Development Plan. Given the extent of potential development in West Hampstead, James Earl from Fordwych Residents Association has proposed that we form one. The first meeting to get the ball rolling on this took place on January 25th. James forwarded me the minutes.

1. Welcome & Introductions:
James thanked everyone for coming & thanked the Sidings Community Centre for hosting the first meeting of the Forum.

2. Election of interim chair:
James was elected with no objections; there were no other candidates.

3. Membership, future elections & constitution:
It was agreed to keep the Forum as inclusive as possible. Anyone living or working in the area should be able to attend meetings and contribute to the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).

James said a future meeting would elect a chair, vice-chair, secretary & treasurer. There was a discussion about sharing or revolving posts and the Forum not being hierarchical, but it was agreed that permanent officers would be needed to lead the work of the Forum.

As part of the requirements set down for NDPs any group drawing up a plan needs a constitution. A group in Kentish Town has already drawn up a document for their group. James said he would draft a constitution for the next meeting & circulate to those interested beforehand.

4. Introduction to Neighbourhood Development Plans:
James outlined the basic idea behind NDPs, which are set out in the Localism Act, which comes into force in April 2012. A number of points were raised:

• It was pointed that it was a resident led process, not a council-led or top down process.
• Any NDP needs to fit in with the Camden Council Local Development Framework (LDF) & the Mayor of London’s London Plan (LP).
• An NDP can’t propose less development – but can set out where future development should be located.
• Residents can list things they don’t want – eg very high buildings.
• There was concern that an NDP wouldn’t carry much weight & would not affect new developments.
• An NDP is a chance to be more locally focussed than the LDF.
• An NDP could link in with the Camden Council ‘Place Shaping Plan’ for WH & the Area Action forums.
• If we don’t draw up a plan, someone else (eg a developer) could.
• The area around the railway stations marked as an area of intensification in the LP can’t be overturned.
• The NDP could be an opportunity for developers to give more back to the community – there were complaints that the current Section 106 agreements are a closed process.
• The NDP will not stop current developments but will be able to shape future developments.
• The NDP needs to be a forward thinking document that considers infrastructure too – such as transport, schools, health services etc.
• The Forum has the chance to create a positive document that has a strong and lasting effect on our area.
• The Forum can usefully bring together people and RAs from different parts of the local area and give residents a stronger and unified voice.

5. Camden Council workshop – 24th January:
Those who attended said there were both positive and negative voices about NDPs – there is a need to be realistic about what a NDP can achieve. People should go into the process with their eyes open.

When NDPs come into force they will have a formal role in the planning process and can be referred to when commenting on/objecting to planning applications. The Council are keen for Forums to work with them and engage in a dialogue. Forums need to be clear about what they want to achieve and be aware of the other changes to the planning system. The Council will have to approve the proposed NDP area; there can’t be overlapping plans. The Plan will need to be approved in a referendum, so will need to attract wide support.

It was pointed out that NDPs were originally designed for villages wanting more development.

There is a surprising amount of land in our area that could be developed in the future – although new developments can also take place when existing buildings are knocked down.

6. Issues to be covered by the Plan:
James set out a range of different issues that could be covered by the NDP. As well as future development, it could include – traffic/street issues; businesses; green space; community facilities; local services etc.

Residents are keen to focus on the ‘village feel’ of the area and in particular the shops & businesses on West End Lane & Mill Lane.

The Forum will need to identify the priorities for the area and its residents/businesses.

It was suggested that the Forum could look at recent development in the area and what does & doesn’t work.

It was agreed to ask a Camden Council planning officer to a future meeting to ask questions.

7. Area to be covered by the Plan:
James said the original proposal for the area used the current ward boundaries for Fortune Green and West Hampstead. In the East, this is Finchley Road; in the North, the northern boundary of Camden Council; in West, Cricklewood Broadway/Shoot-up Hill/Kllburn High Road; & in the South, part railway line, part streets in South Hampstead.

There was a discussion about excluding Cricklewood/Kilburn areas, in case they wanted to come up with their own NDP for the high streets.

In the NW, some of the streets might want to tie in with Barnet.

It was suggested consulting with CRASH on the southern boundary.

There was a suggestion to keep the Plan focussed on the area around the interchange, as this is the area affected by big developments. Others felt it would be more useful to bring the wider community together, and people living away from the interchange area were affected by it.

On a show of hands, a clear majority agreed to proceed by including the full area covered by the two wards.

8. Proposed timescale:
James said that because of the number of developments being proposed in the area, it was best to get on with the Plan as soon as possible. He said he thought it was realistic to have the Plan drawn up within the next year, with a referendum in spring 2013. Those present agreed that it would be wise to move quickly and start work on the Plan sooner rather than later.

9. Funding:
The Forum will need money to pay for meeting venues, printing, administration etc. There might also be a need to employ professional help with the plan. There is no money at present and no money from the Council. It was suggested local RAs could each contribute £50 to get the Forum going. S106 funding could be sought from the current developments. Local businesses could be asked to contribute.

10. Other issues:
There is a Camden Council West Hampstead Place Shaping workshop on February 8th. Those attending can report back to the next Forum meeting. [Ed: my report on that workshop]

There was a call to continue to oppose the current proposed developments in the area; if they are rejected, the sites could be covered by the Plan when it comes into force.

11. Future meetings:
James said he would like to have monthly meetings to help get the Forum and the process established.

The next meeting will look to agree on the area & constitution - plus initial work on the Plan.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 28th February at 7.30pm – venue tbc.

The Lion's future

There seemed to be some confusion as to what was happening to West End Lane pub The Lion, so I wrote to Greene King, the owners. Here's the response:

"We are planning to close the Lion in West Hampstead temporarily for an exciting refurbishment. The plans and timings for the refurbishment have not yet been finalised but we will keep the local community updated. We apologise for any inconvenience the short-term closure may cause."

Not adding huge amounts of info, but it does seem to suggest that the pub hasn't been sold, but is being revamped - so the gastropub rumours may be correct.

Something For The Fans

The Brit awards are almost upon us and there's some local interest with Belsize Park's and Coldplay's Chris Martin nominated for best British group and album. I'll have to see if they'd be up for being the house band at the next #whampgather. Only if they win, obviously.

Now, I know for an actual fact that some of you are singers. But maybe there are more west hampstead folk with a secret penchant for tinkling the vocal ivories. Or maybe you're a "singing in the shower" kinda guy or gal. Either way, why not tune your tonsils and see if you can win a "Priceless duet" with triple BRITs 2012 award nominee Jessie J as part of MasterCard's "Something for the Fans" competition.

TThe lucky winner will win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on stage with the Jessie J. The Priceless Duets competition launched back in January, and MasterCard has already given three music fans the chance to perform with Emeli Sandé, JLS and Labrinth in a MasterCard Priceless TV advert to premiere on ITV1 on 21st February, the night of The BRIT Awards 2012.

Time is running out! The deadline is March 1st, and you need to register your interest at www.somethingforthefans.co.uk. A shortlist of entrants will then be invited to provide an audition video of themselves performing a song by Jessie J, which will then be judged by a panel, including Jessie and her management.

You have to admit, it's a pretty priceless opportunity - but then we're all familiar with MasterCard's "some things are priceless, for everything else there's MasterCard" slogan these days. Priceless London is the company's venture into combining the two and you can sign up for all sorts of offers on the website such as dinner at the Savoy, or discounts at museum exhibitions. Whatever takes your fancy. Sadly, the chance to win a duet with Blondie doesn't seem to be on the website yet - one for next year MasterCard?

Viral video by ebuzzing

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Viral video by ebuzzing

Place shaping update

Last Wednesday, the usual suspects along with a few welcome newcomers gathered in a chilly hall in Dennington Park Road to discuss the draft vision and action plan for West Hampstead's place shaping programme.

In small groups we discussed whether we agreed with the broad vision statements. There was some disagreement about the need to "attract visitors", with the more business-focused people arguing that West Hampstead very much should encourage more visitors to help support the local businesses here, while some of the longer-standing residents felt that we had visitors aplenty thanks to the stations and the congestion on the roads was already too much.

The meeting focused on what some of the concrete actions were that would help realise the vision and, in true Big Society fashion, who the groups or people were who might be able to help - including the council of course. Stimulating local business and encouraging local shops proved popular topics again, with the proviso that seems to be need to be repeated ad nauseum that the council can't control specific companies moving in to the area. There was some interest in the community supermarket idea, especially if the Transition West Hampstead movement gets going and produce can be grown locally.

One area where the council can have influence, and that some of us have been suggesting for some time, is in the guidance to new retail developments - or residential developments that have retail components, such as the Ballymore 187-199 West End Lane site. Encouraging/forcing developers to focus on small format stores rather than large retail spaces would inevitably encourage smaller retailers who could afford the rents, and discourage the chains who thrive on economies of scale. It's not a sure-fire way to keep local businesses, but it's a good start. Certainly for developments that take place on council owned sites, such as the existing Travis Perkins/Wickes site, which is likely to be sold off, the council would be able to set such terms.

I'll publish the full report as soon as it's available. In the meantime, the draft reports are available here. And if you have any contributions, please do contact Kate Goodman, our place shaping officer, before February 20th with any concrete suggestions - the more practical the better.

What have I missed since February 6th?

The NHS bill contitnues to unite doctors, nurses and every other medical professional in abject horror, Whitney Houston died, and there was more snow in West Hampstead. Just another week really.

There was a robbery on Smyrna Road last Tuesday. Police have increased patrols in the area.

Roadworks on the northern reaches of West Hampstead/Finchley Road will hamper traffic this week.

South Hampstead High School is seeking to put temporary buildings (for two years) on part of Lymington Rd cricket club grounds during school renovations.

West End Lane's newest restaurant, Guglee, had its soft launch. 

There was a "place shaping" meeting on Wednesday to help Camden refine the Action plan for the West Hampstead place shaping report.

Fortune Green councillors posted some images of how the latest Maygrove Road development will look.

The new West Hampstead Buisness Forum has launched a petition for more pay & display parking in West Hampstead (not sure where). Sign the petition in participating shops.

Got a problem with gambling? Gamblers Anonymous meets in Quex Rd on Saturday afternoons.

The Kings Troop finally left St Johns Wood.

Edward Petherbridge's weekly historical tour of the area tackled Crediton Hill.

Coming up
Tricycle International Film Festival.

Tweet of the Week

Safer Neighbourhoods scam

I got forwarded this e-mail this morning by the (genuine) local Safer Neighbourhoods Team

"People are apparently being contacted over the phone by individuals claiming to be part of the local Safer Neighbourhoods initiative in this area. They state that as a result of recent break-ins they were sending a team around to check on people's home security and were offering to fit, free of charge, certain home security devices. They said that the people coming to inspect were all ex-police officers."

The police confirm this is absolutely nothing to do with them or any local Safer Neighbourhoods initiative. It's unclear whether these are burglars looking to gain access to local properties or unscrupulous businesses selling security devices, but either way, please exercise extreme caution.

You can call the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0208 721 2697 or go to the website http://content.met.police.uk/Team/Camden/WestHampstead.

What have I missed since January 30th?

Facebook filed for IPO, Sarkozy said France needed German-style reforms, and snow hit London. One of these things received a lot more attention on Twitter than the others.

Yes, there was snow. It led to lots of nice pictures, but surprisingly little disruption on Sunday morning. Camden's winter weather pages have all the information regarding gritting, closures, helping the elderly etc.

The Lion is closing. It's hard to get the detailed facts, but the rumours are that it's going to become a gastropub under new owners. They'll need to fix the awning.

The Rotisserie, the steak restaurant on Fortune Green, has closed.

The old Thameslink entrance re-opened with ticket barriers, the ticket machine is still a couple of weeks away though.

The gas works at Fortune Green/Finchley Road should be done.

The consultation date for 187-199 West End Lane has moved to Feb 14th, meanwhile, City Hall has said the application is "non-compliant".

Planning application is also in for 163 Iverson Road (site of the old garden centre).

And for Gondar Gardens  (enter ref: 2012/0521/P).

AND, if you want to look at the plans for the Abbey estates (Belsize Rd/Abbey Rd area), use 2012/0096/P in the planning search engine.

Local lobbying group WHAT has joined Twitter @WHATNW6

Kilburn (Camden) ward councillors published their Jan/Feb newsletter.

The fight is on to save a Cotleigh Road apple tree.

There's a new blog focused entirely on breakfast in West Hampstead.

Bake-a-boo is making major changes to opening hours.

A West Hampstead small business struck it big after being featured on the BBC's Sherlock.

Blue Daisy has joined forces with West End Lane Books in a cross-business discount scheme.

Belsize Road's Cocoa Exchange has joined Twitter.

The King's Troop leaves St John's Wood barracks this week, so no more cavalcade of cavalry up West End Lane in the mornings.

A "Lebanese loop" was discovered in West End Lane Sainsbury's cash machine on Wednesday. Do be vigilant when using ATMs.

In other ATM news - all First Capital Connect ATMs will be free as of mid-Feb/early March and one will be installed at West Hampstead Thameslink apparently.

Swiss Cottage youth charity, The Winch, will take over the running of Belsize Library.

The second #whampbooks event at West End Lane Books  on Tuesday was a big success, with lots of locals dropping in for wine and books. Look out for more events like this in the future.

Tweet of the Week
I don't normally go for grumbly tweets about businesses in Tweet of the Week, but this one rather tickled my fancy.