LATEST NEWS RE: UXBRIDGE GOLF COURSE
March 2010
4601/APP/2009/2622 UXBRIDGE GOLF CLUB, THE DRIVE, ICKENHAM
Remodelling works to improve the quality and condition of Uxbridge Golf Course, consisting of reshaping works using imported inert soils and extensive landscaping to enhance visual and ecological amenity.In a special well attended meeting of the North Planning Committee at the Civic Centre, Uxbridge, on Wednesday, 10.03.10, which heard the presentation of 8 petitions against the above proposals and for re-instatement of the golf course post NationalGrid pipe-laying from different interested parties (including Ickenham Residents’ Association) the above application has been REFUSED.
It will now be referred to the Mayor of London under Article 5 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 for determination.
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LATEST NEWS on SWAKELEYS HOUSE (please scroll down for full background)
Ickenham Residents' Association
'Swakeleys House'
(Variation to s52 Agreement)
The above variation will be considered by the
LBH's North Planning Committee at 7pm on the
6th April 2010 at the Civic Centre in
Committee Room 5
Please attend to show the importance of Swakeleys House
to the village.
See the Spring Edition of Ickenham Calling for the latest update.
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RE: SWAKELEYS HOUSE, ICKENHAM
February 2010
The Association has been informed that the Council has now received a revised application to vary the Section 52 Agreement, dated 29th May 1984, in relation to the above site. This follows the meeting of North Planning Committee on 3rd December 2009, where the matter was deferred for "further information to be sought on marketing the property, and to enable further negotiations to take place regarding the feasibility of installing secure fencing to the perimeter path, appropriate landscaping improvements and to increase the level of access to the house".
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; access upon written
request by representatives of recognised societies or other bodies
iv. access to the grounds of Swakeleys House to members of the public to coincide
with the Ickenham Festival; and
v. an area of Swakeleys grounds 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 further discussions with Council officers, the applicant is now proposing to vary the Section 52 Agreement as follows:
All clauses of the Section 52 Agreement
to remain unchanged, including the retention
of the existing perimeter path, except (iii) as follows:
iii. 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 access to members of the public on one day
per year
at the Open House Weekend (from 10 - 4 p.m.)
The area open to the public to comprise the ground floor entrance hall,
stairs to first floor and first floor landing, as shown hatched in blue on
Plan B.
The applicant to produce an illustrated leaflet providing a brief
architectural description and history of Swakeleys, to be made available
to those visiting during the Open House Weekend (the content to be
approved by the council in advance of distribution)
The maintenance of a standalone website with virtual tour.
NOTE:
March 2010
The Association has taken comprehensive soundings from members, local residents
and groups, as well as history societies, and the majority view is to ask
the owner to consider opening Swakeleys House on two days annually, to reflect
the historical importance of the house and give sufficient time to visit for
local residents and visitors from further afield. As regards the limitation
of access to essentially the hall and staircase, local historians consider
that the Great Chamber and other parts of the building should also be available
for inspection by the public. If the owner is not minded to extend the viewing
area then other than ensuring there is sufficient access on the landing area
to reduce the risk of visitors viewing the staircase falling as they turn
round at the head of the stairs, we do not make any further representations
in this respect.
If access over 2 days is simply not tenable, for example, because of a proven
difficulty in leasing the premises with 2 rather than 1 Open Day, the Association
requests that LBH require the inclusion of a fall back position in any new
agreement with the owner to ensure that this one day per annum access by the
public continues even if the concept of the London Open House weekend should
ever cease.
In all other respects we support and welcome the continued use of the grounds
by the Ickenham Festival and the Bowls Club, and particularly the fact that
the perimeter path has been retained, maintenance of which should be regulated
from the start in any new agreement.
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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