Sainsbury's (Nine Elms) Exhibition (redirect)

This is just a quick bookmark post to note that when I tried to attend the Sainsbury's planning exhibition last Friday at about 19:45, it was closed (I must have got the time wrong).  I did also request at PDF of slides shown at the Waterloo Community Development Group (which I presume would be similar to what was on display at the exhibition) from Jonathan Rawnsley, the Sainsbury's Development partner, but I haven't received those either.

Consequently, I'm going to point you to Tradescant Road blog post on the most recent Sainsbury's exhibition. Tradescant attended on Saturday and has posted some sketches of what might possibly be the ugliest cluster of square buildings I have ever seen (other than possibly the Bondway).  Tradescant also notes that the original plans have been amended since the last consultation...  You can read the updates at the Sainsbury's Nine Elms website here (although many of the picture links appear to be broken).

I will continue to point out that despite promises of a public square (won't we already have one of those over at CLS's Vauxhall Square?), there is no additional public green space in the proposal.  There is a cleverly worded piece on the Sainsbury's website which reads as follows:

"We have listened to the feedback that we have received. One of the important messages that we heard was that people valued open space when new homes are provided. Therefore we have removed one residential block since our first exhibition and increased the level of green space for the enjoyment of residents."

It is extremely important to note that in their feedback to the first consultation, people requested and valued "open" space. Yet, Sainsbury's are providing green space that will only be available for the enjoyment of residents in their new blocks.  Bearing in mind the rumours of the shrinking size of the Nine Elms linear park, and the dearth of green space beteween Vauxhall Park and Battersea Park and the Bondway being refused on grounds of lack of green space, it seems immensly foolish to me to attempt a planning proposal that contains no green space for the enjoyment of both new and current residents.  At the KOV meeting last month, I bumped into somebody who mentioned performing social work with residents on the Wandsworth Road, and noted that people are unaware of the high levels of deprivation and poverty in that area.  Providing a "residents only" roof garden (in spite of other provisions for a learning centre) is not a positive commitment to the area from a developer with a "responsible" reputation such as Sainsbury's.  Enough said.