Residents and Councillors Unite to Fight Bus Garage Proposal

Press release from Cllr Phillip Portwood

Last Wednesday (19th November 03) over 100 residents from the West Acton Residents Association met with Cllr Phillip Portwood and Cllr Julian Bell to express their opposition to Transport for London's plans to build a bus depot right next to houses at the corner of Horn Lane and the Western Avenue.

Residents were angry at the proposals for the bus depot in this residential area. They were concerned that buses using a depot on this site would cause more noise and pollution especially late at night and early in the morning as crews came on and off duty. Air quality is already poor in this area due to the high levels of traffic and all these extra busses would just make it worse.

Current air quality reports cited in the planning application do not take account of the extra pollution that would be caused by the depot. The plans would also mean closing Park View and restricting access for residents on to and off the A40. Residents also had safety concerns about the closeness of fuel storage areas to residential housing. Residents were angry about the loss of the green corridor that runs alongside the A40 that would occur if the depot were built.

Cllr Philip Portwood speaking to residents condemned the fact that, "the proposals put forward by TFL go against the Council's UDP supplementary planning guidance which seeks to preserve a green corridor to improve the local environment. Local people and local councillors fought hard to have this land dedicated for a green corridor and we are not about to have it taken away from us without a fight."

Cllr Julian Bell told the meeting, "As your local councillors we are against this proposal and will do everything we can to stop a bus depot being built in this residential area. The extra levels of noise and pollution would be totally unacceptable."

Sheila Selvajothy, Chair of the West Acton Residents Association urged residents to write in to the Council's planning department objecting to the bus depot planning application. She and other residents expressed concern about the lack of notice residents received about the consultation because of the postal delays and demanded that the council extended the consultation.

3rd December 2003

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