At today’s Development Committee an application to build two houses on land behind No 6 High Street Acton was discussed and ultimately refused by Members. I went along since you can never be sure how these things will turn out but in the event had little to say. The officer had recommended refusal, and Mrs Johnson from Acton Parish Council adequately reflected my concerns and that of neighbouring residents.
Following the recent site meeting, Committee Members felt that two properties on the site would really be a bit of a squash, particularly since the rear wall of one of them would be very close to the boundary of No 16, Gotsfield Close.
Another issue was that of trees. One large specimen on the site is covered by a Tree Preservation Order, and is also the home of a colony of bats! It seems that sometimes the temptation to remove trees that completely dominate the garden becomes overwhelming for developers or householders, and, mindful of this, the officer expressed some concerns about the survival of the tree in the longer term.
It is good to see that planners are now sensitive to this sort of issue. I have no reason to believe that the tree would be lost in this particular case, but it seems better to be safe than sorry.
