At a Brent Council Planning Committee meeting at the end of August, representatives of JHCL Ltd lobbied successfully for the rejection of the latest application by Abbeymews to build a five flat block to the North of the Jubilee Heights building.
It was the third time that the ill-conceived Abbeymews plans had been turned down by the Planning Committee and a major victory for the leaseholders of Jubilee Heights and Cedar Lodge who had acquired the Freehold of the JHCL site from Redab earlier in the year.
The Abbeymews proposals, enabled by easements granted to it by Redab, the previous owners of the site freehold, envisaged the construction of a new six story block abutting the north wall of the existing JH building (see images below). The new Block is not another extension of Jubilee Heights but a completely separate, essentially “semi detached” building that would need to be serviced via the single vehicular entrance to the site on Exeter Road.
The negative impacts of this development on the existing site are many and substantial and range and include loss and additional complexity of car parking, problems with access to collect waste, increased traffic and congestion in Exeter Road and substantial loss of light to the JH apartments with North facing windows. But perhaps of greatest concern to residents is the loss of vehicular access to the site from Shoot Up Hill. The existing gate on Shoot Up Hill that is reserved for use by emergency vehicles would be lost making it impossible for high sided emergency vehicles to access the rear of the site beyond the existing canopy.
It is crystal clear to all residents that the JHCL site is already congested. The Brent Planning Committee agreed and therefore rejected the latest appeal, leaving Abbeymews with the final option of an appeal to the Secretary of State.
We now know that the developers have lodged such an appeal and we will be required, once again, to defend the interest of all leaseholders and tenants of JHCL.
The challenge at this stage is a different one and requires us to engage professional advisors. JHCL Ltd has a fighting fund provided by leaseholders who participated in the purchase of the freehold but would appreciate further support from non-participating apartment owners who have just as much to lose should Abbeymews prevail.
Please get in touch via email at info@jhcl.info if you would like to help us protect all of our interests.
