In early December, the Forum was notified by a development management firm London Realty that proposals had been drawn up for a housing development on the land at Nursery Lane. An exhibition of these proposals was subsequently held at the Pavilion pub in Wood Lane on December 12th/13th.

Despite invitations to the exhibition describing the scheme as ‘low density’, the proposals are in fact for 21 four bedroomed houses.  This is two less than the housing development submitted by the Legard family in 1982, refused by RBKC, and dismissed by a Planning Inspector on appeal at a public inquiry.

The latest scheme involves a basement (for each house and for car-parking) that would extend under the majority of the site.  All the existing trees on the site, including the willows, would be felled.

The StQW Draft Neighbourhood Plan proposes designation of this piece of land as Local Green Space, along with the two other remaining backland sites in this part of the St Quintin Estate. Council officers have supported this designation in respect of the West London Bowling Club and the green space behind Kelfield Gardens, but not (to date) for Nursery Lane.

It is not clear why Council officers take this view.  The Oxford Gardens Conservation Area Proposals Statement contains a very clear policy commitment that these remaining backland sites are an important amenity for the area, and should not be developed for housing (see at page 18 of the document at the link above).

The StQW Forum has asked that Councillors are now involved in confirming the Council’s position on this piece of land.  The Council will be making further comments in response to the Consultation Version of the StQW Neighbourhood Plan, and we want this response to be decided by elected members, and not officers.  The detailed case for designation of the Nursery Lane land as Local Green Space is set out on this website at  Annexe C of the StQW Draft Plan (scroll down this link to Annexe C).

London Realty proposals for Nursery Lane, W10

The Nursery Lane Action Group has set up a petition headed Save our Green Spaces on the RBKC petitions web page, asking the Council to protect all three of the remaining backland sites by supporting the proposals for designation as Local Green Space in the StQW Plan.  This step would give the Council the up to date policy tools needed to honour its longstanding commitments in the Oxford Gardens CAPS document. The StQW Draft Plan identifies other locations in this neighbourhood as being more suitable for housing (primarily Crowthorne Road and Latimer Road).

The best way to ensure that the land at Nursery Lane is not developed is to

• sign the petition on the RBKC website (link above)
• send in a consultation response on the StQW Draft Plan by January 25th, supporting the proposed designation of this land as Local Green Space (by email to info@stqw.org)
• copy your email to Dalgarno ward councillors at Cllr.Healy@rbkc.gov,uk and Cllr.Thompson@rbkc.gov.uk
• vote for the StQW Neighbourhood Plan at a referendum later this year.