LATEST NEWS
14.12.09
SWAKELEYS HOUSE
(Variation to s52 Agreement)
NORTH PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING 3rd DECEMBER 2009:
The Association can confirm that the proposed Swakeleys House variation (to remove the perimeter path, limit public access etc.) was deferred at this planning committee meeting. The committee have asked the owner to discuss the feasibility of putting a secure fence around the perimeter path and provide more information on his attempts to market the property, and also to see whether increased public access (from the 1 morning proposed in the variation) can be given, eg. the whole Open House weekend.
We will be up-dating this page regularly to inform our members of any further developments.
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SWAKELEYS HOUSE
(Variation to s52 Agreement)
The proposal to close the perimeter footpath between The Avenue and Swakeleys Drive and reduce the number of Open Days from 3 to 1, and other related matters, will be decided by the North Planning Committee at a special public meeting on
Thursday 3 December 2009 at 7 pm
in the
Civic Centre, Uxbridge.
Please attend to show the importance of Swakeleys House to the village.
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Urgent 22.07.09
SWAKELEYS HOUSE -
P/A 23202/F/81/1435
APPLICATION TO REMOVE PUBLIC
ACCESS RIGHTS
The
08.07.09 Agenda for the London Borough of Hillingdon’s North Planning Committee
Meeting scheduled for 16.07.09, included an application for the variation of a
1981 Section 52 agreement which required the owners to allow public access to
parts of Swakeleys House on 3 days each year. The applicant wishes to remove
this right and also alter the access to the Swakeleys Bowling Club. The
permission granted to the Ickenham Festival to use the grounds for 1 day
appears to remain intact, but this is not clear.
Although
LBH do not have to hold a public consultation, the Association was concerned
that 8 days was insufficient time for ourselves, other interested parties
(Ickenham Festival, bowling club, local history societies etc) and local
residents to consider the variation, given that the House is a central part of
any key village activities. The Association immediately contacted the LBH, who
at our request withdrew the report officially on 15.07.09 from the Agenda for
16.07.09 to grant a time for public consultation.
The
application is now scheduled to be reported at the North Planning Committee
Meeting at 7pm on 27.08.09 at the Civic Centre.
We received
a letter from the LBH dated 17.07.09 explaining the details and aims of the
variation of section 52 as copied (with LBH permission) below.
There is
also a link to the North Planning Committee Report for 16.07.09 with all
relevant details of the above planning application plus copies of original
deeds and draft of variation of section 52.
http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=5553&action=view_doc&cid=71&year=2009
There are
currently 2 other planning applications for Swakeleys House (23202/APP/2006/1164
and 23202/APP/2008/53) with the owners seeking to increase the
number of vehicles permitted to use the ceremonial access road from Swakeleys Drive
and to resurface/make some alterations to the ceremonial access road (both of
which the Association has objected to as the rear entrance from Milton Road is
perfectly acceptable).
We would
ask you, our members, to study this matter urgently and let us know your
thoughts and assessments, so that we can send the Association comments to the
LBH by 07.08.09.
Please
email to:
ickenhamresidents@hotmail.com
or telephone Chairman, Rachel Moore, on 613534 or 07710 209272
or write
to:
Ickenham Residents
Association,
Thank you
for your support.
LETTER FROM
To Mrs. Joan
Sollis,
General Secretary,
17th
July 2009
Dear Mrs. Sollis,
RE:
SWAKELEYS HOUSE, ICKENHAM
I
write to inform you that the Council has received an application to vary a
Section 52 Agreement in relation to the above site.
The
Section 52 Agreement dated 29 May 1984, relates to a planning permission (APP/R55/10/A/83/004491)
granted on appeal to erect 25,092 square feet of offices to provide further
funds to restore the buildings and grounds of Swakeleys House. The owner implemented this planning
permission some time ago.
The
intention of the deed of variation is to restrict access to Swakeleys House due
to issues surrounding privacy and security on the site to which the applicant
has provided evidence. The owner suggests that the property has been empty for
five years, because the public access arrangements granted through the Section
52 Agreement have deterred prospective purchasers and tenants from occupying
the site. Additionally, the applicant has provided evidence that, in recent
years, the open days have not been well attended and there have been no
requests for entry to Swakeleys House during the last four years.
The
original Section 52 Agreement made provision for the following:
i.
the carrying out of a comprehensive tree survey by
the owner;
ii.
permissive rights of access for members of the
public to use a footpath leading to the Bowling Club;
iii.
access within Swakeleys House on three days per
year to allow the public to view areas of special architectural or historic
interest;
iv.
access within Swakeleys House for the inspection of
areas of special architectural or historical interest by representatives of
recognised societies or other bodies;
v.
access to the grounds of Swakeleys House to members
of the public to coincide with the Ickenham Festival; and
vi.
an area of
Swakeleys House to be leased for a term of 21 years at a peppercorn rent
by the Applicant to Swakeleys Bowling Club for use as a bowling green.
Following
discussions with Council officers, the applicant is now proposing to vary the
Section 52 Agreement as follows:
i. deletion of the obligation on the owner
to allow permissive rights of access for members of the public to use a
footpath leading to the Bowling Club;
ii. deletion of the obligation on the owner
to allow access within Swakeleys House on three days per year to allow the
public to view areas of special architectural or historic interest. This will
be replaced with exterior access to members of the public on one or both of the
Open House Weekend (see area shaded in blue on Plan B attached) and the
applicant will produce a leaflet which provides brief architectural description
and history of Swakeleys together with illustrations to be made available to
those visiting during the Open House Weekend (the content to be approved by the
council in advance of distribution); and
iii. deletion of the obligation on the owner
to provide access within Swakeleys House for the inspection of areas of special
architectural or historical interest by representatives of recognised societies
or other bodies. Instead the applicant will launch a virtual tour on a
standalone website to be provided for members of the public to view 365 days
per year (the contents, format and design to be approved by the Council);
iv. an obligation on the owner to allow
public access daily from 9.00am until one hour before sunset to the area as
indicated in yellow on Plan A attached for informal recreational use (the
specified purposes are not confined to a bowling club); and
v. an obligation on the owner to allow
public access and access to the bowling club via a different access route as
indicated in yellow on Plan A attached.
I
would be pleased to receive your views on the proposed Deed of Variation within
21 days of the date of this letter. Alternatively, should you prefer to meet
with me to discuss this matter please contact me on the above number.
Yours sincerely,
Charmian Baker
Planning Specialists Manager
Planning and Community Services