Despite recommendations in a planning application for housing development on Mill Farm, Hanworth, requiring conservation of a natural buffer zone alongside the Crane River, protection of trees and retention of a pond - all have been lost, say local residents.

People living around the area have watched with increasing dismay as none of the protection measures have saved any of the green.

Richmond Council's own unitary development plan for Mill Farm stated: "Any proposal should include a buffer of land of nature conservation importance to link to the area to the west of the site" and consultants advising on the application stated: "Land in the west of the development site close to the Mill Stream is to be retained for the benefit of nature conservation."

The application from Richmond Churches Housing Trust, approved by Richmond Council for the site, which was council-owned, states: "The applicant has submitted a comprehensive Ecological report concluding that the site can be developed for housing but with amendments to meet the concerns raised by both the EA and GLA with regard to protecting some of the more important parts of the site in the interests of nature conservation.

"The scheme has been amended to set buildings away from the Crane valley and the cycle path has also been relocated from the edge of the site. The pond area is shown to be retained and suggestions are made as to how to develop and improve this area including an 8m deep section along the whole site to be excluded from development in accordance with Environment Agency advice. The access point has been modified to protect major trees on the boundary."

But trees have been felled, even though planning officer, Roy Summers, said in the report that: "Nature conservation is a key issue in this case given the close proximity of the land designated as of Metropolitan Importance for Nature. Advice has been sought from the Greater London Authority and Environment Agency and both have provided helpful strategies that could be pursued to maintain a significant element of nature on the site which in turn can ’run’ into the Crane valley to the west.

"Whilst it is recognized that the GLA would much prefer a greater area of land left undisturbed I must weigh up all the planning considerations so as to provide a balanced recommendation. The applicant has responded to the main issues raised by providing a corridor of open space to be managed in the best interest of nature conservation. A large area is to be retained to protect the pond created from the level changes, and possibly due to a broken drain, which has partly flooded the area.

"In these circumstances I take the view that this material consideration has been successfully dealt with and is the subject of conditions. The realigned access also retains principal trees on the southern boundary."

But despite the undertakings within the application, local residents have been dismayed to see the area bulldozed and say they are still waiting for answers to their questions as to why the habitat destruction was allowed to go ahead.

A response from Richmond Council states:

"Mill Farm The site has always been know to be contaminated due to its previous use for the breaking up of aircraft. Before planning permission was given for housing the Council commissioned a report assess the problem and recommend action to ensure mitigation would be carried out.

"The planning permission was conditioned to ensure this mitigation was carried out. Over the last several months the site has been cleared of contaminated soil and such work has found more pollution then first envisaged, thus the need to carry out further mitigation to eradicate it before building commences

"Due to the further mitigation required it became apparent that some of the trees shown to be retained under the planning permission would need to be removed.

"Finally the applicant had to submit further details to the Council with regard to nature conservation to promote and enhance the area. This was done last year and the Environment Agency and GLA-Biodiversity both contributed to the final approved details. Thus this issue has been properly dealt with and the measures to enhance wildlife will be carried out as part of the development.

"When this issue was first dealt with in 2001 it was not recognised that more of the soil would need to be excavated as this was only known more recently following soil analysis. The applicant (Richmond Churches Housing Trust) has undertaken to carry out nature conservation and landscaping work on the site."

Wednesday, June 9, 2004

See the report of the outline application for Mill Farm
See Borough-wide letters on Mill Farm
See the residents' website

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