• A PLANNING application has been submitted for the Travis Perkins site, Paddington, proposing the demolition of the existing buildings and erecting a building of between seven and 22 storeys for 843 students.

A new Travis Perkins builders’ merchants would be on the ground floor of the new building. We have five objections to the proposals:

• Gross overdevelopment of the site.

The only justification put forward for a building of 22 storeys is that there are already buildings of that size in the close vicinity.

Significantly it suits the applicants to cite buildings of around 22 storeys in evidence in their favour, rather than the more important and much lower Sheldon Square residential buildings immediately opposite their site.

The proposed “stepped” seven to 22 storey proposal is a contrived design which inherently admits that it is inappropriate for such an important and sensitive site.

The sheer wall at the 22-storey end looks particularly out of scale. In short the proposed building is far too massive and far too tall. It is the wrong building in the wrong place.

• Out of scale with the low-rise residential Little Venice section of the canal.

The proposed 22-storey building would ruin the current Little Venice section of the canal environment, which is characterised by a collection of modern low and mid-rise developments.

This section of the canal is clearly apparent from the Bishops Bridge Road bridge which creates a strong divide between the low-rise part of the canal at Little Venice and taller office buildings (such as the Brunel) associated with Paddington station area. The high-rise Brunel should be the last 20+ storey building at the west end of the canal.

• Creating an overbearing “canyon” effect.

Because of the proposed gross overdevelopment of the site, the resulting development would create an overbearing and depressing “canyon” along this part of the canal.

The canal-side walkways, cafés and bars would become less enjoyable to visit. The moored barges would be dwarfed and totally overwhelmed by the towering 22-storey building.

• Wrong use for the site.

While there is support for the retention of Travis Perkins, no justification is made for the proposed major student accommodation development, beyond the general need for London.

Moreover there is no certainty that the predicted need for more student accommodation will materialise.

There are serious questions about whether overseas students will still want to travel to the UK for their degrees, whether the government will reduce funding for higher education, and whether online learning will encourage more students to save money and stay at home.

• Not an appropriate location for 843 students.

We question whether this is an appropriate location for an 843-bed student block. Sheldon Square residents have, for many years, lived above the bars and restaurants that create regular late-night noise and disturbance.

The efforts of the city council’s noise and anti-social behaviour teams and the local Hyde Park ward police team cannot cope with the current scale of noise and ASB.

The on-site management team are powerless to deal with the regular problems faced by residents. How can it be reasonable or fair to add a further 843 potential customers to the local bars and restaurants, when it is abundantly clear that the available public and private provision cannot cope with current demands on reduced and inadequate resources?

JUDITH SOUTHERN
MD CHOWDHURY
& PAUL DIMOLDENBERG
Hyde Park Ward
Labour Action Team