| Topic: | Re:Inappropriate - greed. | |
| Posted by: | Judy Jaafar | |
| Date/Time: | 27/03/13 05:04:00 |
| Don't know if anyone saw the 25th March Evening Standard (or online)with a feature about basement excavations, as Dr. Sahota would want to do next door to me. It makes horrific reading. Months or years of noise and disturbance, conveyor belts of excavated soil clanking and thrumming all day long, houses cracking or falling into holes, mud and filth being sprayed all over neighbours. The article is focused mainly on K&C and Westminster, where basement digging seems to have become a hobby of the rich and famous, but the outrage from residents and the structural disasters have caused such problems for these local authorities that they are considering banning basement excavations altogether. It would be nice to think that Ealing were watching this carefully and taking heed, but that's unlikely. It's known that Ealing planners are very happy to okay basements, even when knowing that this borough is one of the worst in London for subsidence, particularly W. Ealing, where there have indeed been terrible disasters wrought on neighbouring properties after Planning has passed entirely unsuitable applications. As Ealing rises from her enforced slumber, with new shopping arcades, new town centre developments, a new cinema complex at last, Crossrail etc. it has become again a very desirable place to live or develop. There could be massive underground garages or swimming pools being built all over the place under these beautiful old Victorian and Edwardian properties, with much profit to be made. As I was mulling over the content of the newspaper article whilst driving down Park Hill from Hanger Lane, I noticed a huge advertising billboard in someone's front garden - "More Space" Basements. 'Nuff said! |