Fw: 4th Anniversary of Pure Genius Site

[Lilia Patterson]

Subject: 4th Anniversary of Pure Genius Site 
Date: 03 May 2000 16:21

Calling all non-violent activists - Reclaim your vision and come to
Wandsworth this Friday!!!

Peaceful Pavement Protest - Friday 5th May 12pm - outside old-Guiness site
on York Road, Wandsworth.

Against 5 New 16-Storey Tower Blocks - Planning Policy Precedent along the
banks of the Thames?

4th Anniversary of Pure Genius Site 

Friday 5th May is the 4th anniversary of the Pure Genius land occupation.
To mark this occasion, a Peaceful Pavement Protest outside the entrance to
the site at 12.00pm has been organised, which will also be publicising the
imminent threat of high-storey development WHICH MAY LEAD TO A PLANNING
PRECEDENT ALONG THE RIVER THAMES. 


On May 17th Wandsworth councillors will decide whether to give the go-ahead
for five new tower blocks on the riverside next to Wandsworth Bridge. Their
planning committee has already recommended a 'FOR' vote. The Land Is Ours
says that plaguing the banks of the River Thames with high-storey
development will be no tall order if this development goes ahead and sets a
planning precedent just before the Mayor acquires Strategic Planning Powers
for riverside buildings on June 1st.


Joint statement by the Battersea Society, Wandsworth Society, Putney
Society, Tonsley residents Association, West London River Group, Planning
Aid for London, Gargoyle Wharf Community Action Group, Thamesbank : 

Amenity societies and residents' associations in Wandsworth are almost
unanimously AGAINST for the following reasons :

  1.. These buildings would be 16 stories and 191 ft tall, like five new
Montevetros, standing higher than St.John's Hill.                          
                                                                           
                               
  2.. The council's own guidelines state that "building heights should not
generally exceed six storeys" on this stretch of river

  3.. IF COUNCILLORS GIVE PLANNING PERMISSION, IT WILL SET A PRECEDENT
WHICH WILL MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO REFUSE PERMISSION TO BUILD TOWER
BLOCKS ON ALL THE REMAINING INDUSTRIAL RIVERSIDE SITES IN BATTERSEA,
WANDSWORTH, PUTNEY AND FULHAM.


  4.. We want a cohesive policy for buildings along the Thames, not a
different height for every site.             IT WOULD BE BETTER TO WAIT
TILL THE NEW MAYOR OF LONDON ACQUIRES STRATEGIC PLANNING POWERS FOR
RIVERSIDE BUILDINGS ON JUNE 1ST.

  5.. This area has one of the country's biggest concentrations of 1960's
tower blocks. Everyone admits they were a mistake. Let's not repeat that
mistake by building tower blocks along the Thames.

We ask you to write to your local councillors and urge them to vote AGAINST
this proposal on May 17th and to insist on A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE
HEIGHT of these buildings before they go ahead.


Order more copies from Judith Attar on 72-19-46-19 or fax 72-19-57-28.

Local Contact :  Bruce MacKenzie on 020 8 767-4624