In the third of a series of articles documenting the development of Wanstead’s Evergreen Field, Geoff Horsnell raises concerns over how the amended plans will fit within the Wanstead Village conservation area
Do you remember the artist’s impressions of the proposed new building on the Evergreen Field? Well, think again! When finished, you won’t see much of the lower part of the building from certain angles.
The original plans showed some 24 flats above a ground-floor nursery and outside play area. Omitted from the artists drawings was the fence that needs to surround the play area for the safety of the children. Not only is the site on Wanstead High Street, a busy thoroughfare, but the children also need to be kept safe from any threat.
The developer’s answer to this conundrum is to place a brick wall around the play area. They have requested a wall in excess of 2.5m high, although as the site lies within the Wanstead Village conservation area, the regulations state that no wall, fence or gate can exceed 2m in height in such locations. From the latest diagrams available, it seems the play area is at the rear of the building and does not extend to the side or the front. Even so, a 2m high brick wall is incongruous in this context. Whilst it will mostly be visible from Christchurch Green, it does constitute a significant blot on the landscape. Unless the developer is planning some form of soft landscaping, such as covering the brickwork with greenery, the site will not enhance the conservation area one bit – especially next to the green! Perhaps it is time to suggest to the developer that such a use of the ground floor is not ideal for the area and that replacing the nursery with a set of shops might be a better plan.
The Redbridge Council planning department are well aware of this latest amendment to the plans but have so far decided not to share the details publicly. It is not even clear if they will discuss the excess height of the proposed brick wall. Will this be another example of the relaxation of conservation area rules?
As yet, there are no details of the proposed type of brickwork or any design or style within the wall, but whatever design is selected will not sit well next to Christchurch Green.
There is also the outlook to be ‘enjoyed’ by the occupants of the flats. How will they feel living in such surroundings? At the rear of the flats, they will have the sounds of children playing outside, amplified by the enclosing brick wall! The plans do show an ‘acoustic canopy’, but again, the plans are not very clear about the extent of this cover. At the front of the flats, the sound of traffic on the busy High Street will fill the air. And there may be no escape from the noise for future residents as the amenity space for each flat amounts to a balcony and a small space on the roof. As the roof also contains the housing for the lift mechanism, this may not be the quietest location either. An array of solar panels are also envisaged for the roof area and it is unclear how the space will be apportioned. If flat, solar panels can easily be damaged by residents inadvertently walking on them or worse. If angled to catch the sun better, they become a trip hazard. As the building is some four storeys high, any access to the roof means there must be guard rails or a parapet around the area. Again, such a protective measure is not shown in the plans.
For more information on the Evergreen Field development plans and to view the full application, visit wnstd.com/field
