On Thursday 16 August the council’s Strategic Development Committee rejected by 3 votes to 0 the proposal to rebuild the ASDA store at Crossharbour and construct over 800 flats on the site. Opposite the ASDA site, there is an ongoing consent for homes on the second stage of the Arena development, a 35 storey building has been given consent on Marsh Wall and another company is consulting on building 770 homes on Skylines on the corner of Limeharbour and Mash Wall.
None of these comes with a single new school or any meaningful upgrade on the local roads. ASDA were providing some £6,679,997 of money for Community benefits. Cllr Peter Golds, who spoke against the application at the committee meeting, said, "However reading between the lines, this included £3,142,971 for additional school places in the borough – where exactly in the borough was not specified. £923,342 would be handed to the Primary Health Trust and, again, it was not specified where this be spent."
The overwhelming number of homes on the ASDA site would be “car free”. So £400,000 would be donated to upgrade Crossharbour DLR station. Cllr Golds added "A canopy was proposed which would no doubt shelter residents from these new homes whilst they wait and wait for a train in rush hour. A further £510,000 would be donated towards increased capacity of a local bus service. A nice sum initially, but how long will this money last?"
It should be remembered that residents of “car free” homes often have visitors with cars, which would inevitably see the parking restrictions in the Crossharbour area extended massively, to the detriment of long term residents.
The ASDA development team were taken aback at the local opposition to this proposal. Local Conservative councillors only heard that it was going up for consent a week before the meeting. A leaflet drop organised by the ward councillors alerted residents. One resident, Jean Farrugia, collected 298 names on a petition in two nights, calling door to door in the Manchester Road area.
Cllr Golds said, "In the event, people power won. However, this is but a first step as I believe the development will be resurrected. Council officers were in favour of the rejected scheme, and it is clear that Labour Party Councillors wish to see massive new developments on the Isle of Dogs."
Indeed, Labour Bethnal Green Councillor, Sirajul Islam, recently told The Wharf newspaper “Where there’s land available for development it’s got to be developed. The Isle of Dogs has lots of spaces that can be developed.”
As a result, local Conservative councillors will be helping local residents to keep the pressure on the Council to ensure that any future scheme is smaller and there is adequate provision of health, schools and transport infrastructure.
Cllr Peter Golds can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected]