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| School makes waves with bid
for underground pool |
Opponents warn that neighbouring
homes face subsidence risks
From left: Roy van Gelder, Professor Lesley Le Quesne, Betty
van Gelder, Toni Zekaria, Baruch Zekaria and Sherman Carroll
with letters opposing the move |
PLANS by a private boys’ school to build a swimming pool
under its playground have been dismissed by neighbours as “a
gross overdevelopment”.
The proposal for the six-lane pool at Hall School, an independent
school in Crossfield Road, within Belsize conservation area, was
submitted to Town Hall planning chiefs in September.
An earlier proposal by the school for the 18x32 metre pool –
rumoured to cost around £2 million – was withdrawn last
year after opposition from residents and concerns voiced by planning
officers about the impact of the scheme.
But residents, some with children at the school, say the latest
application has only cosmetic changes. They have set up a Swimming
Pool Opposition Group to fight the plans.
Its chairman, Sherman Carroll, whose back garden overlooks the school,
said the underground pool would create problems with noise, increased
traffic and the danger of subsidence affecting neighbouring properties.
The school would need to cut down a protected plane tree in its
grounds to build the pool. The plans would also affect black poplar
trees along a common boundary.
Mr Carroll said: “These are 100-year-old trees with roots that
extend horizontally as well as vertically. If some of the roots
were cut, the other roots would have to compensate, sucking up all
the available moisture and leading to the risk of subsidence.”
He added: “It is just unnecessary to crowd this potentially
damaging and noxious development into a residential location, especially
when the council is soon going to re-open the pool at Swiss Cottage.”
Gordon Maclean, from Belsize Residents Association, said he had
written a strong letter to planning bosses opposing the pool bid.
He added: “We have objected very strongly as we did to the
first application. The difference between the two is cosmetic. They
have offered to replace the protected tree but the additional trees
are no substitute.
‘It’s a gross overdevelopment of the site. The noise and
disruption to surrounding residents would be intolerable. I simply
do not see why they need their own pool.” Anthony Kay, a solicitor
who lives in Crossfield Road, said: “A major building project
lasting for at least one year but for such a limited luxury purpose
should not be considered for approval.”
According to school bosses, the new pool at Swiss Cottage Sports
Centre will not be able to provide enough hours for its pupils.
In a letter to residents earlier this month, headteacher Garry Pierson
said the school would carefully manage the construction of the pool
to ensure “minimal disruption” and that there would be
no noise increase once the pool had been completed.
He added: “I hope this allays any concerns you may have about
the project. Please be assured that we seek to be a good neighbour
at all times.”
A Town Hall press official said: “A Town Hall press official
said: “This application is currently down as to be decided
by delegated powers. However if there are objections it will go
before the members’ panel who have the power to recommend it
goes to committee.” |
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