Very sad news tonight... decided by a planning committee on which there was NO COUNCILLOR REPRESENTING THE PRINCIPAL TOWN IN THE DISTRICT!!! - the vote was made to allow the permission for 33 flats and 4 houses to be built on the site of Long Island.
Whilst we all know that the current hotel needed investment and refurbishment... the hotel remains 100% full during the week and weekend.
SO....
- LOSS OF JOBS,
- LOSS OF A MUCH NEEDED LOCAL AMENITY,
- LOSS OF REVENUE FOR THE TOWN CENTRE,
- LOSS OF VALUABLE PARKING SPACES FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN THE TOWN,
- LOSS OF FOOTFALL ON THE HIGH STREET,AND
- LOSS OF A VITAL LINK IN RICKMANSWORTH'S ECONOMY.....
EXACTLY WHAT PLANNING POLICY DOES THAT FULFIL.
DISGUSTING.
And all done with NO benchmarking of local prosperity, NO measure of the impact on the local economy and NO survey into the number of hotel beds needed in the district.... perhaps they have a crystal ball?
The latest
application by Keay Homes, to retain the fascia of the Long Island Hotel
AND STILL BUILD FLATS, is being heard at the Planning meeting at Three
Rivers next Thursday 17th July - 7.30pm at Three Rivers House.
Having done a bit of digging we find out that Keay Homes are
so sure of the fact that they will get this permission, they have set up
a limited company: Keay Homes (Long Island Exchange) Ltd – their
profit (and Greene King’s too) at the expense of our community. NONE OF
THIS PROFIT WILL REMAIN IN THIS COMMUNITY.
The biggest show we
can give that the community is totally against the removal of our hotel,
is to turn up in large numbers. This site should NEVER HAVE BEEN ZONED
FOR RESIDENTIAL – and having spoken to Greene King, we were told they
were ‘pointed in the direction of residential development’.
We
know that the hotel is 100% full 100% of the time, and that another
hotel chain is very keen to open a hotel in Rickmansworth This site is
PERFECT for an hotel - hence the reason it has been there for 125
years....and it is full.... and it is used by the community!
Please,
please, please come along if you can and share to all those that you
think would be interested in helping to save Rickmansworth's diverse
commercial heritage.
Okay... we have managed to get around the login issues....
Here is the latest position regarding Keay Developments' various applications for the demolition of our much used and needed hotel.
1. Application for demolition and building of 92 dwellings Ref. No: 12/1794/FUL | Received: Mon 24 Sep 2012 | Validated: Thu 01 Nov 2012 | Status: Application Refused by TRDC
2. Application & Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate for demolition and building of 65 dwellings Ref. No: 13/0480/FUL | Received: Thu 14 Mar 2013 | Validated: Tue 02 Apr 2013 | Status: Application Refused by TRDC and the Planning Inspectorate
3. Application for demolition and building of 31 dwellings Ref. No: 13/2277/FUL | Received: Tue 10 Dec 2013 | Validated: Mon 06 Jan 2014 | Status: Application Refused by TRDC
Appeal lodged with the Planning Inspectorate 2 May 2014.
4. Application for conversion of the existing building of the Long Island Exchange to 8 apartments, and demolition of the hotel extension to construct 25 apartments and 4 houses car parking spaces and cycle storage. Ref. No: 14/0945/FUL | Received: Wed 14 May 2014 | Validated: Tue 20 May 2014 | Status: Pending Consideration
THIS FINAL APPLICATION NEEDS YOUR COMMENTS TO BE LODGED AT:
http://bit.ly/1nnvFtJ
BY 10 JUNE 2014
Here are copies of the relevant letters:
Appeal to the Planning Inspector
And here is the letter regarding the conversion....
