First The Jockey Club wanted 1000 dwellings. Then 1500, with shops and hotels (although those have been conspicuous by their absence from later plans). Then 2000. All on just half of the Kempton Park Green Belt. Their latest number is 3000 – on the whole place, bulldozing the racecourse and the grandstand in the process.

Will they be satisfied with 3000? Given their track record – the move from 1000 to 2000 all took place in a matter of months, and involved giving different numbers to different people at the same time – we don’t think so. We fully expect the 3000 number to be upped, and upped. This will become – if they’re given half a chance – an all-you-can-eat buffet. They will keep coming back for more.

To put it in context, the whole of Lower Sunbury comprises 5300-odd households, 12700 individuals. 3000 extra dwellings on their own would bring almost 7200 people onto the already overburdened roads, schools and health facilities – an increase of 56%. Never mind the further increase from 3000 dwellings we expect from the Jockey Club.

These plans must be stopped. And so far we have managed to do just that, through much effort in the background, but without spending much money at all.

But we are now in the midst of the review of our Local Plan, through which The Jockey Club and Redrow, their builders of choice, hope to get permission for their free lunch. If we are to stand a fighting chance, we need to have a lawyer to represent the interests of residents, particularly at the Examination in Public at which our new Local Plan will be scrutinised by a Planning Inspector.

We have already instructed one of the leading QCs at the London Planning and Environmental Bar. He is very familiar with Sunbury, having represented residents during previous planning hearings, and he is extremely good value for money.

So we are appealing to your generous nature.

Contributions can be made

a) by direct transfer to our bank account;
Barclays Bank
Account name: Keep Kempton Green
Sort Code: 20-42-76
Account number: 5326 5943

b) through PayPal – Reference keepkemptongreen@hotmail.co.uk Continue reading Stop their free lunch! →