Well done to St Pauls for writing to Michael Gove MP about the proposed Homebase development

 Well done to St Pauls for writing to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to call in the Homebase application. We need more faith groups and Sam Tarry MP to write to Michael Gove in increase our chances of the development being called in. The objections to Homebase are similar to those for the Tesco development. Letter is below.

The Parish and Church of

St Paul’s Goodmayes

 

The Rev’d Janet Buchan

Vicar

 

By email

Rt Hon Michael Gove MP

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

publiccorrespondence@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

 

22^nd February 2022

 

 

 

Dear Mr Gove

 

Re:  Planning Application for Former Homebase Retail Warehouse, High Road, Goodmayes

        London Borough of Redbridge – ref: 0680/21

 

The Standing Committee of the Parochial Church Council of St Paul’s Goodmayes has asked me to write to you requesting that you call in the above application.  The application was approved by the London Borough of Redbridge on 22^nd July 2021, then referred to the Mayor of London and passed by him on 24^th January 2022.

 

There are many reasons why local residents believe this application to be detrimental to the community.  These include: the density of the proposed development, its character (at up to 20 storeys) being at odds with the surrounding area, the lack of car parking, the preponderance of one- or two- bedroom properties, where the pressing need in the area is for family homes.

 

However our principal concern is the lack of comprehensive assessment of the risks to child health caused by air pollution, given that the proposed development will be sited between a railway line and a busy road.  A member of our congregation has sent us statistics relating to child health in the BHRUT catchment showing that in 2020/2021 there were 18 child deaths and 769 hospital attendances with air pollution as a possible contributory factor.  Siting housing in a high pollution area appears to us to be nonsensical if we wish to improve the health of the local population.  While it is welcome that the developer is proposing to add air filters to the ground and first floor properties, there is no national specification for the quality of the filters, no maintenance regime is specified, and there appear to be no plans to monitor the effectiveness of the filters.  There is also no provision for those living at higher levels, and air filters cannot, of course, be effective in outdoor space, where one would hope that children would spend significant time.

 

For all these reasons, we would ask you to call in this application.

 

Yours sincerely,