Hayes & Coney Hall Conservative Councillors

Archive for the ‘Planning & Licensing’ Category

Changes are afoot at the The New Inn in Station Approach. The owners hosted a meeting with residents recently where they presented part of their plans for the business, prior to the former “Harvester” closing in March for a major refurbishment. The restaurant is to move onto the ground floor, while a function room is envisaged on the first floor. We understand that an element of “take-away” of food and drink is also proposed.

Now a licensing application has been received. The owners are seeking an extension in hours to 12:30am, as well as permission for music, dance and other activities. Also, an extension to 10am on New Year’s Day as well as permission to hold 20 events a year without notifying the police (currently 12). A regular opening time of 8am for hot beverages is also sought.

Your ward members are currently examining the proposals, some aspects of which will also require planning permission, which ought to be obtained before any licence variations are granted.

The New Inn during its "Harvester" days

In a positive development, the Council has allowed the application for 41 Croydon Road in Coney Hall, but for restaurant and cafe use only, thus excluding any usage as purely as a drinking establishment.

However the licensing hearing had to be deferred (for a second time) after the applicant failed to appear.

Update (9/2/10): The applicant has withdrawn the application and apparently has opened a premises in Dulwich.

At last Tuesday’s Development Control committee, the Council approved the plans for the new sports block and classroom block at Hayes School.

Following our previous representations to the committee, the school made a good number of changes to the plans, including a slight reduction in height, more evergreen planting on the boundary and removal of the wind turbine. The committee agreed with us (and the Hayes Village Association) that enough had been done to make the plans acceptable and supported the school.

However, the master-plan – which sets out the school’s longer term development plans – was deferred again pending more information regarding the traffic and parking situation.

Having been established at Hayes Lane for many decades, Bromley F.C. was recently seeking to expand its facilities with four five-a-side, two seven-a-side and a full size artificial pitch. However, concerns were raised over increased intensity of use,  the level of floodlighting, noise, length of opening hours, loss of trees, impact on nearby residents and on the Green Belt.

Following representations and suggestions by your local councillors and nearby residents, a series of amendments and ultimately a new application reduced the plans to just four pitches in total, fewer floodlights, no loss of trees and slightly shorter operating hours. This compromise eventually won the Council’s approval.

Hayes School recently unveiled its plans, in the form of a “Master Plan”, for developing the school site over the next ten years. The plans included all daytime vehicle access being diverted to Baston Road, but also the demolition of the old north block and replacing the sports hall, all with a view to providing improved facilities for the school’s existing pupil numbers., the majority of whom come from the immediate area..

The Master Plan accompanied the first specific planning application for a new block in the south-west corner of the site, on virgin Urban Open Space. Your councillors were keen to stress not only their support for the school, but also highlighting residents concerns in pushing for an amendment to the plans to minimise the impact on the Baston Road traffic situation, the openness of the site and the impact on  residents of houses in West Common Road.

At the Development Control committee on 8th September, both the detailed application and Master Plan were deferred to enable the various concerns to be addressed further.  The application is likely to be brought back to the committee later in the autumn.

Following an earlier rejection of a takeaway at 47 Croydon Road (the former butchers), an unrelated planning application was submitted for no. 41. While ostensibly for a coffee lounge/café, the opening hours (to 11pm), bar-style layout and alcohol licence application have raised serious concerns among residents.

We have made representations to the Council and currently both the planning application and licence hearing have been deferred.

UPDATE (12/10): The planning application, now amended to be solely for a restaurant-type usage, is coming before the Plans sub-committee this Thursday (15th).