Letter to the Mayor about Stage 2 referral for Twyford Abbey

Dear Sadiq,

Re: Stage 2 referral for GLA/2022/0460 Twyford Abbey, Ealing

Concerned constituents have contacted me regarding the application with LPA Reference Number 222341FUL:

“Development to provide a total of 326 self-contained residential units (36% AH by habitable room) comprising; seven blocks of flats (ranging from 2 to 6 storeys); two 2-storey detached dwelling houses and a terrace of 2-storey dwelling houses in the grounds of Twyford Abbey; conversion of Twyford Abbey (Grade II Listed) into flats and communal spaces; demolition of workshop attached to the Grade II listed walled garden and replacement with a single storey dwelling house; facilitated by repair; refurbishment; infill and rooftop extensions to Twyford Abbey; demolition of curtilage structures, excluding the cottage; retention and repair of the Grade II listed walled garden and attached cottage to provide ancillary facilities; comprehensive landscaping works including removal and works to trees; provision of permissive publicly accessible open space and grow gardens; provision of gated cycle and pedestrian access onto North Circular (A406) and new access onto Twyford Abbey Road; provision of hardstanding parking areas; ecological enhancement works; and other associated constructions works including installation of boundary treatment.”

This application was approved by Ealing Council on 19 October 2022 and will be referred to you for a Stage 2 decision. Constituents are asking that you to refuse the application for a number of reasons, including the following:

• Harm caused to the Metropolitan Open Land within which Twyford Abbey sits – “The application will see the building footprint on the site increase by 296%, which again is against the NPPF guidelines that development on MOL should not be materially larger than the one it replaces.”
• Removal of 19 Category B trees, 121 Category C trees and 17 Category U trees – “You cannot remove 157 mature protected trees and woodland and expect there to be biodiversity net gain in replacing established trees and woodland with saplings. The £100K for tree planting is not proportionate to the scale of this development with no aftercare plan in place.”
• Housing / Affordable Housing: 36% affordable units by habitable room, a tenure split of 66% London Affordable Rent / 34% Shared Ownership – “only the very minimum requirement of 36% is being offered, which at stage 1 application the GLA had said did not constitute a special circumstance to build on MOL.”

Finally, in your officers planning report on the application, they concluded:

“The site is within designated MOL and does not meet any of the exceptions set out in Paragraph 149 of the NPPF. The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the MOL which is, by definition, harmful and the proposal’s massing and scale would negatively impact the openness of the MOL.”[1]

Therefore, I strongly urge you to direct the Local Planning Authority to refuse the application, as it would cause significant harm to both MOL and the Grade II listed Twyford Abbey, while providing insufficient affordable housing.

Yours sincerely,

Sian Berry

Green Party Member of the London Assembly