The South Acton Estate/Acton Gardens was an extensive, well-planned, and attractive development, with communal spaces and other facilities designed in, but what we're being exposed to now are individual, cynical and speculative, high-rise proposals dotted all over the South Acton Industrial Park - and no one seems to be able to stop them because of the Council's apparent lack of a proper 'Draft Plan'. Now they have got a plan in place for the area, they seem to be ignoring it and still nodding developments through for the most spurious of reasons, such as accepting a reduction from a ludicrous 23 stories to a slightly less outlandish 18 (Acton Gardens is around 9 stories), or agreeing to some 'one-off' deal, such as improving a bit of road or replacing a footpath which the developers themselves probably wrecked while doing their building. The idea that 'this won't set a precedent' is also a nonsense, for when the final Building 12 in the Business Park was allowed to be taller than originally planned, it wasn't long before the 'Pocket Homes' tower between the railway tracks claimed it as a reference. Now the proposed TfL development along Bollo Lane quotes the Pocket Homes building to justify putting their tallest towers down that end, ignoring the nine story blocks opposite. So we all knew it wouldn't be long before the same argument would be used to build a tower where the bookbinder's factory used to be, and another where Chiswick Auctions was, and then another on an abandoned car park, and yet another in between the level crossings where a garage and an old house used to be - all with no overall plan, design or or community provision. I guess it won't be long before all the other industrial units over there are picked off one by one. And maybe then they'll turn their attention to the houses south of the railway track!
Peter Evans ● 51d