Draft Letter - The main concerns

• Concern that the council has decided that there will be comprehensive redevelopment, without consulting the community about whether they want this option, or whether they would prefer to rework the current site, or even wait until circumstances are more favourable to an entirely different approach.
  
  
• Concern that the outline consultation process does not involve at any stage asking the community what they want, only offering variants on a pre-chosen scheme.
  
  
• A request that the current consultation plan should be replaced by a two-stage scheme, asking first what the community want, and then asking them to choose from options within the type of regeneration chosen.
  
  
• Concern that the outline plan showed that almost no thought has gone into what the area needs. It included a large out patient medical centre, despite the construction of a new out patient department at the Whittington and major refurbishment of local GP centre. Originally it also included a nursery or creche, despite the existence of the leading Archway Under 5s Centre on Vorley Road itself. This indicates that the developer and the council do not have any clear idea of the area.
  
  
• That there is disregard for the impact of the proposed development on the quality of life of those living or working next to the development. The extra traffic generated by a food superstore - up to 180 cars every hour for all trading hours, plus the regular arrival of very large delivery lorries - will cause extra noise and pollution for example. The projected three years’ worth of building - in practice potentially double that - will do serious damage to local businesses, and potentially to local residents’ health.
  
  
• That the development will involve what the Mayor calls ‘densification’ much greater than that even in inner London areas such as the Barbican. To fit everything in will mean building at least as high as the current much hated Archway Tower, in two or even three blocks.
  
  
• That the council should consider as one option reworking the current site, recladding the current buildings and reorganising the ground level buildings to make a more attractive space.
  
  
• That the council should press hard for Transport for London to deal with the rerouting of the A1 as a real priority as this alone would help regenerate the Archway area. That this rerouting should not at any stage be dependent on private funding from a developer because of the delay and dependence this would mean.
  
  
• That it is foolish for the council to agree to the demolition of perfectly workable public facilities such as the leisure centre (paid for out of rates) and for the developer to be allowed to count their replacement, possibly by membership only services, as part of their community benefit.
  
  
• That the commercial confidentiality which has been used as a blanket cover for all aspects of the initial planning creates a feeling of mistrust in the community and that the council should agree to complete transparency in all matters relating to this planned regeneration.