Cllr Zammett's speech on 27th May

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This is Cllr Zammetts unfinished speech on the 27th, seems we should put this into submission to Mayor

Firstly, I would like to say that I am speaking not just for myself but also my two ward colleagues Councillors Rai and Chaudhry.  We thought this would reduce time at the Committee and they have seen and approved this speech.

Secondly, as Ward Councillors we are not opposed to development per se and we recognise that as a prime brownfield site some form of building is inevitable on Goodmayes Tesco. As such, its potential for development as part of the Cross-Rail corridor was included in the Local Plan which was widely consulted on. 

We are also very conscious of the housing crisis in London and often deal with the heart-breaking consequences of homelessness in our surgeries.

So, any objection to the plans has to balance housing need with the consequences of development and it is that issue I intend to address tonight.  We recognise the developers have made some concessions in relation to scale and are providing a new primary school and community space.  We also know that these are welcomed by some local residents, although our preference would be for a greater proportion of affordable and social council housing.

Our concerns relate to the wider impact on the local area, initially with the junction of Barley Lane and the High Road.  While there have been proposed improvements to the main carriageway including a bus lane, the junction remains a “pinch point” and we believe the Developer could do more to improve the traffic flow particularly by installing a new slip road. 

Station access is another major concern and although a separate application has been made, we believe a firm commitment should be made by the Developer and TFL before the main application is approved. 

It should be possible for organisations of the size of Weston Homes and TFL come to an agreement before this planning application, and we would ask that the consideration of this application is deferred until such an agreement is concluded.

We understand there would be significant costs involved with a new direct station entrance but we believe the narrow pavements and limited size of the station booking hall would create passenger flow problems at peak times particularly when the Homebase development is factored in.  This could lead to genuine pedestrian safety issues if people “back up” along the High Road and Goodmayes Lane. 

Although the reduction in parking spaces and the removal of the petrol station might reduce vehicle movements, deliveries, visitors and dropping off at the school will add to existing concerns about air quality, traffic congestion and parking.  We continue to highlight that the existing plans will not make a modal shift in personal transport given their overall scale.

There remain concerns about the very high-rise buildings shading parts of the park opposite at certain times of the year. Little regard has been given to the impact of an additional 1200 homes, and must be considered beforehand, particularly in terms of direct access via a subway and conflicts with existing users.

So, to summarise Chair, we recognise the Developer has made concessions but we believe that more should be done about traffic management, commuter capacity, air quality and the broader impact on existing infrastructure before proceeding.

Neil Zammett

May 2021