The point about lost parking is that the occupiers of the building when it was a police station had an extensive parking area at the back (the photos show it with about 20 spaces) but the occupiers of the new building will not have any parking at the back. That is therefore lost parking. Birchgrove will have the two spaces in the car park that were reserved for the police. That is neutral on parking. Birchgrove say that residents in their other developments give up their cars soon after moving in and that this is even more likely in Chiswick with so many public transport options and so much within easy walking distance. Perhaps that will be what happens in Chiswick but currently it is speculation. What about staff and contractors? A Labour councillor on the planning committee struggled with the concept of all staff shunning cars, saying that fill-in carers often have to travel fast from afar to replace regular staff who are unable to work (such as if they are ill) and that means by car; they will need to park; she argued for an exemption for them from parking charges. Even if Birchgrove is able to ensure that only its two spaces will be needed by its staff, whether emergency or otherwise, and contractors and that the others will travel by public transport, bike or on foot, it is inconceivable that no visitors will drive. There will be 50 flats for 70 people. The number of visitors could be significant (as an example, nearby Homecross House has about 100 visitors a day and many of them come by car, parking on nearby roads when parking in the development is taken up). That will increase pressure on parking elsewhere - in the car park and on residential roads. Thanks for the advice on what I should or shouldn't have concentrating on. It assumes that councillors work in isolation from residents when in fact I was in good touch with them, including about how best to use the limited time we had (I had five minutes, residents had five minutes collectively - an absurdly short time for them when there are so many points to be made and as their views should matter). I started my comments with a very clear statement endorsing the points to be raised by residents - therefore supporting their comments on light and design. They left parking to me to raise. It's called collaboration and is generally what I recommend when supporting residents through the planning process which so often leaves them feeling frustrated and ignored particularly as, after speaking and answering questions if there are any, they are then required to be silent, unable even to correct errors made by others.
Joanna Biddolph ● 93d