Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Hondo's plans for a huge tower on Pope's Road, Brixton and the Brixton Project

Take your word for it you two. I agree about Andy Burnham. He seems to be one of the few Labour luminaries with the moral courage to appear on TV WITHOUT a Union Jack these days.
 
Even taking into account the ludicrous belief of developers to think that jobs will be created if only yet another retail park, office complex, is built, this one seems even more wrongheaded than usual. Even before the pandemic this seems entirely surplus and out of place. When I last popped back to Stratford just before lockdown, it was full of both refurbished and new glass office space, all empty/to let. And if we do see a more longer-term shift of working patterns post pandemic, just what is the point and why there? Build some fucking proper affordable housing.
 
Even taking into account the ludicrous belief of developers to think that jobs will be created if only yet another retail park, office complex, is built, this one seems even more wrongheaded than usual. Even before the pandemic this seems entirely surplus and out of place. When I last popped back to Stratford just before lockdown, it was full of both refurbished and new glass office space, all empty/to let. And if we do see a more longer-term shift of working patterns post pandemic, just what is the point and why there? Build some fucking proper affordable housing.
Everyone I know is resigned to the fact that if it gets built, it'll just sit on the empty block until they can turn it into super lucrative luxury housing.
 
Here's a load of fluff created by the Brixton Project for an unspecified amount of funding (but still asks for people to donate).

The site has received little to no promotion - Brixton Buzz received no press release as usual - and I can't imagine it providing anything close to value for money or real world usefulness. I don't expect they'll ever release any stats about how many people are looking at it either (I anticipate VERY low numbers). It's the same circle jerk with funds being quietly trousered accordingly.

 
looks promising, don’t imagine he’s gonna want to upset thousands of voters with an election coming up...
I hope the stench never leaves the Brixton Project if it turns out they backed the wrong horse. Hondo have just acted like self-interested capitalists, but the Project abused their community credentials to grease the pile for this monstrosity to get planning permission the first time around.
 
Just listen to the bullshit the architect has come up with to justify the hideous and divisive Hondo tower being built.

David Adjaye, founder of Adjaye Associates, has previously said the tower will reflect Brixton’s multiculturalism, rather than gentrify the area.

He told Lambeth Council’s planning committee in November: ‘It will be a signature, new type of building that will create a weaving – and we’ve not seen anything in London like it – of the social context, the multicultural context of Brixton with its diverse market life.

‘The main entry to the building will be through its civic heart. It will not be privatised; it will be public space that will connect the community to the office buildings. And, yes, there will be high-quality jobs in there. But what better than having a place where young kids can see and aspire to jobs that are more than what is in the current market in their environment?’

 
It's just occurred to me that all the branding for Brixton Village was done by at least one person from the Brixton Project, so it's no wonder that they were happy to do their bit to ensure the smooth passage of this awful tower. Quid pro quo and all that. I wonder if they were promised the commission on the tower's branding too?
 
How do you lot feel about the "bottom" part of the project? Seems alright to me. Can they not just do that part and leave off the tower? I guess the developer'd say it's not economically viable, but I reckon they'd still do it if they had no other option.
 
There is a Brixton Neighbourhood Forum Zoom meeting tomorrow, during which The Tower of Hondo is to be discussed


Our next on-line meeting – Wednesday 28 April
This Forum meeting will be held on Zoom, starting at 7 pm. We hope that you will want to join in, but please e-mail to the Forum Administrator at admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org so that we can send you the log-in details a day or two before the meeting.

Fight The Tower Campaign
The Save Nour/ Save Brixton/ Fight the Tower Campaign continues to oppose Hondo Enterprises’ planning application for a 20-storey office block on Pope’s Road in the heart of Brixton, pictured above. The application is now in the hands of Mayor Sadiq Khan, and he (or a new Mayor) will decide its fate at a public hearing in a few months’ time. Meanwhile, the Campaign is engaging with local community groups, activists, residents, traders and skilled professionals to build the case against this monument and symbol of gentrification. Brixton is our neighbourhood and London is our home. If the Tower is built, it will have a direct and detrimental environmental impact on the lives of thousands who call Brixton home. Brixtonians, and Londoners in general, will keep demanding more meaningful consultations from local authorities, and more transparency for any future projects. Join the conversation on 28 April online with Brixton Neighbourhood Forum.

More to come

If there are other local groups that want to make a presentation or report at this Forum meeting, or one coming up, please contact the Forum Secretary soon, at apiperbrix@aol.com We are also setting up an on-line briefing on the Planning system, to help you with responding to other planning applications that come along. More news of that soon.
 
From The Critic:

Been to Brixton lately? Back in November, Lambeth council gave permission to an international billionaire amateur DJ to dwarf Electric Avenue with a psychopathic, Bond-villain style tower of ridiculous proportions, in spite of the fact it flies in the face of all relevant planning law and has drawn universal condemnation from community groups and heritage consultees alike. The only argument in its favour is that it will make a very rich man a little bit richer. Why the rest of Brixton should suffer to achieve this end, and why the Labour council is so desperate to help him achieve it, I cannot fathom. Sadiq Kahn quietly approved the plans in December, and after the inevitable uproar he realised that he didn’t mean to and needs to think about it a bit longer. Perhaps he’ll make up his mind once he’s safely re-elected.
 
the enormo-tower is back on the table. from my email this morning:


Greater London Authority
Dear Sir/Madam

Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) England Order 2015 (DMPO).​

On 31 March 2019, planning application (reference 20/01347/FUL) (‘the Application’) was submitted to the London Borough of Lambeth by AG Hondo Popes Road BV (‘the Applicant’) for the following development:
“Demolition of existing building and erection of part 5, part 9 and part 20-storey building with flexible A1 (shops)/ A3 (restaurants and cafes) / B1 (business) / D1 (non-residential institutions) / D2 (assembly and leisure) uses at basement, ground floor and first floor levels, with restaurant (Class A3) use at eighth floor level and business accommodation (Class B1) at second to nineteenth floor levels, with plant enclosures at roof level and associated cycle parking, servicing and enabling works”
On 1 March 2020, the Mayor of London issued a direction under Article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 that the Mayor will act as the Local Planning Authority for the purposes of determining the Application. Subsequent to that direction, the Applicant has submitted revisions to the Application to the Mayor, as follows:
  • Increasing the term of the Affordable Workspace to 2090. A period of 25 years was originally provided.
  • Providing a new Brixton job training fund of £1,000,000 (£40,000 per annum for a period of 25 years).
  • In addition to the apprenticeships already provided, the applicant would provide an additional 50% for apprenticeship opportunities during the occupation phase.
Hard copies of the revisions to the Application detailed above can be inspected by members of the public at all reasonable hours between 8.30am on 26 November 2021 until 4.30pm on 17 December 2021 at 169 Union Street, London SE1 0LL. Copies of these documents are also available online at:

How to comment​

Representations about these detailed revisions to the Application can be submitted in writing or online to the following address and should be received by 17 December 2021:
*Online via: https://planning.london.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0i4J000002gBW8QAM/20210265?tabset-c2f3b=3
*By post: Pope’s Road, The Planning Team, Greater London Authority, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE.

Notification Period​

The notification period runs until 17 December 2021. Representations received after the date referred to above, but before a decision is made, may still be taken into account but failure to meet this deadline could result in your representations not being considered.
Any representations you have previously made on this application to the London Borough of Richmond and/or GLA will still be taken into account.

How will the application be decided?​

The Mayor will consider the planning application at a public representation hearing. A date for this will be confirmed in due course and all respondents will be notified. Further details on this process are available on the GLA website as above.
Yours sincerely
John Finlayson
Head of Development Management

 
Pls read below and object by this Friday the 17th December.

We need all hands on deck to keep objections coming into the GLA. We’ve put together a document with some key points you can use in your objections, please do so by Friday and spread as widely as you can :

Please read here : #FightTheTower - add your objection today!.docx

Pls object here : https://planning.london.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0i4J000002gBW8QAM/20210265?tabset-c2f3b=3

Got this email from Stop the Tower yesterday.
 
Update! this just came through:


Greater London Authority
Dear Consultee,

Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008.​

20-24 Pope’s Road, London Borough of Lambeth
GLA reference: 2021/0265
Southwark Council reference: 20/01347/FUL

Notice of Representation Hearing: 10 June 2022​

On 31 March 2020, planning application (reference 20/01347/FUL ) (“the Application”) was submitted to the London Borough of Lambeth (“the Council”) by AG Hondo Popes Road BV (“the Applicant”) for the proposed redevelopment of 20-24 Pope’s Road, Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth. Following receipt of notice from the Council on 16 February 2021 that it was minded to grant planning permission for the redevelopment proposals at Pope’s Road, the Mayor notified the Council on 1 March 2021 that he would act as the local planning authority for the purposes of determining the Applications (under article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 and the powers conferred on him by Section 2A of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).
A public Representation Hearing is due to be held at City Hall, The Chamber (Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE) on 10 June 2022, starting at 10.00am, for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to consider the Application in detail and to determine whether or not planning permission should be granted.
The hearing is open to the public, with a capacity of 140, and you are welcome to attend if you wish. Details of how to get to City Hall can be found here: How to find City Hall. We will update our website page with all of the necessary details: Pope's Road Public Hearing
Please note if you are intending to attend in person, you will be required to enter City Hall through ‘airport style’ security which can lead to a delay. Please arrive in plenty of time to ensure you are able to watch or participate by 10am. The Chamber will be open from 9am and entry to City Hall is possible from 8.30am.
If you have any accessibility requirements or questions about accessing City Hall, please contact us at popesroad@london.gov.uk.
The hearing will also be available to watch online and a link will be published as soon as it is ready on our website: Pope's Road Public Hearing.
The agenda will be made available on the GLA website seven clear days in advance of the Representation Hearing, along with the officer’s report on the Application and the recommendation to the Mayor, here: Pope's Road Public Hearing

Right to speak​

If you have made a written representation in relation to the Application either to the Council or to the GLA at any consultation stage then you are eligible to request to speak (for the avoidance of doubt this does not include an individual who has signed a petition but would include an individual who has signed a standard letter). If you wish to speak at the hearing you must submit to GLA officers a detailed statement of the issues that you intend to express to the Mayor within seven days from the date of this correspondence. This information should also clearly state in what capacity you wish to speak (i.e. objector or supporter) and which organisation (if any) you represent. All statements should be provided in writing by email to: popesroad@london.gov.uk. If you request to speak you should also indicate whether you intend to attend the hearing in-person at City Hall or whether you wish to participate online. We will share details of how to join online with anyone who wishes to participate virtually.
In accordance with the GLA published procedure (https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayoral_rep_hearing_procedure_-_june_2021.pdf) all objectors or supporters will together have a total of fifteen minutes to speak, similarly so will all supporters. Depending on the number of people within each group wishing to speak, the GLA may ask people with similar views to agree a spokesperson or persons to act on their behalf and it will be the spokesperson’s responsibility to ensure that all the relevant points are made within the time limit. In order to facilitate the selection of a spokesperson or persons, the GLA will pass on your personal information to other registered speakers. Your personal information will be properly safeguarded and processed in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you do not want the GLA to share your details for this purpose please confirm in your response. PLEASE NOTE – not agreeing to share your personal details may mean that you will not be able to speak at the hearing. The GLA will publish a list of confirmed speakers three days in advance of the hearing on the GLA website here: Public hearings.
Further details with respect to the procedures to be followed at the representation hearing, including arrangements for speakers are available on the GLA website here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayoral_rep_hearing_procedure_-_june_2021.pdf
Yours faithfully
John Finlayson
Head of Development Management
Greater London Authority
 
Update! this just came through:


Greater London Authority

Dear Consultee,

Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008.​

20-24 Pope’s Road, London Borough of Lambeth
GLA reference: 2021/0265
Southwark Council reference: 20/01347/FUL

Notice of Representation Hearing: 10 June 2022​

On 31 March 2020, planning application (reference 20/01347/FUL ) (“the Application”) was submitted to the London Borough of Lambeth (“the Council”) by AG Hondo Popes Road BV (“the Applicant”) for the proposed redevelopment of 20-24 Pope’s Road, Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth. Following receipt of notice from the Council on 16 February 2021 that it was minded to grant planning permission for the redevelopment proposals at Pope’s Road, the Mayor notified the Council on 1 March 2021 that he would act as the local planning authority for the purposes of determining the Applications (under article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 and the powers conferred on him by Section 2A of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).
A public Representation Hearing is due to be held at City Hall, The Chamber (Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE) on 10 June 2022, starting at 10.00am, for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to consider the Application in detail and to determine whether or not planning permission should be granted.
The hearing is open to the public, with a capacity of 140, and you are welcome to attend if you wish. Details of how to get to City Hall can be found here: How to find City Hall. We will update our website page with all of the necessary details: Pope's Road Public Hearing
Please note if you are intending to attend in person, you will be required to enter City Hall through ‘airport style’ security which can lead to a delay. Please arrive in plenty of time to ensure you are able to watch or participate by 10am. The Chamber will be open from 9am and entry to City Hall is possible from 8.30am.
If you have any accessibility requirements or questions about accessing City Hall, please contact us at popesroad@london.gov.uk.
The hearing will also be available to watch online and a link will be published as soon as it is ready on our website: Pope's Road Public Hearing.
The agenda will be made available on the GLA website seven clear days in advance of the Representation Hearing, along with the officer’s report on the Application and the recommendation to the Mayor, here: Pope's Road Public Hearing

Right to speak​

If you have made a written representation in relation to the Application either to the Council or to the GLA at any consultation stage then you are eligible to request to speak (for the avoidance of doubt this does not include an individual who has signed a petition but would include an individual who has signed a standard letter). If you wish to speak at the hearing you must submit to GLA officers a detailed statement of the issues that you intend to express to the Mayor within seven days from the date of this correspondence. This information should also clearly state in what capacity you wish to speak (i.e. objector or supporter) and which organisation (if any) you represent. All statements should be provided in writing by email to: popesroad@london.gov.uk. If you request to speak you should also indicate whether you intend to attend the hearing in-person at City Hall or whether you wish to participate online. We will share details of how to join online with anyone who wishes to participate virtually.
In accordance with the GLA published procedure (https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayoral_rep_hearing_procedure_-_june_2021.pdf) all objectors or supporters will together have a total of fifteen minutes to speak, similarly so will all supporters. Depending on the number of people within each group wishing to speak, the GLA may ask people with similar views to agree a spokesperson or persons to act on their behalf and it will be the spokesperson’s responsibility to ensure that all the relevant points are made within the time limit. In order to facilitate the selection of a spokesperson or persons, the GLA will pass on your personal information to other registered speakers. Your personal information will be properly safeguarded and processed in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you do not want the GLA to share your details for this purpose please confirm in your response. PLEASE NOTE – not agreeing to share your personal details may mean that you will not be able to speak at the hearing. The GLA will publish a list of confirmed speakers three days in advance of the hearing on the GLA website here: Public hearings.
Further details with respect to the procedures to be followed at the representation hearing, including arrangements for speakers are available on the GLA website here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayoral_rep_hearing_procedure_-_june_2021.pdf
Yours faithfully
John Finlayson
Head of Development Management
Greater London Authority
How come it has a Southwark Council reference?
Over all the years of agro on this proposal I have succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome.
I hope it goes through.
It is disappointing but but predictable that Lambeth Council did not see fit to extract some suitable planning gain - like a PROPER refurbishment of Electric Avenue - glazed canopies included.
In the circumstances I am more outraged by the council's continual attempts to clear out their council estates for gentrification than I am by building a large office block of mellow design in a former coal yard!
 
How come it has a Southwark Council reference?
Over all the years of agro on this proposal I have succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome.
I hope it goes through.
Why the fuck do you want this ugly piece of unwanted shit in the middle of Brixton?
And it certain will impact on people living in nearby council estates that you seem so concerned about

1653128770121.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: CH1
What's all this then?

From: Peter Kemp <Peter.Kemp@london.gov.uk>
Sent: 01 June 2022 17:55
To: Joe Wilkinson <Joe.Wilkinson@london.gov.uk>
Subject: NOTIFICATION OF POSTPONEMENT - POPES ROAD HEARING
Importance: High

Dear Sir / Madam,

You have registered to speak at the Representation Hearing for Pope’s Road planning application due to take place at the end of next week, on 10 June.

I am emailing to advise you that, following a request from the applicant to postpone the Hearing to allow them to consider changes to the scheme to address significant concerns raised by Historic England and others, the Mayor has agreed to this. The postponement has been granted on condition that this is done in engagement with the local community as well as the GLA, Historic England and others.

This therefore means that the Hearing will not be proceeding next week. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes you and will contact you directly with notice of a new date for the planning hearing, and how you can be involved in it, in due course.

Best wishes

Peter Kemp

Head of Change and Delivery, Planning


GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY
City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE

www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning
 
Back
Top Bottom