An Essential Living articulated lorry carrying a 14-tonne excavator turning into the Hampstead Theatre terrace

• A SERIOUS breach of the 100 Avenue Road scheme construction management plan (CMP) occurred last week when an Essential Living articulated lorry carrying a 14-tonne excavator, turned into the Hampstead Theatre terrace because there was not enough room for it to turn around on site.

The CMP allows no waiting or idling in the surrounding streets, but this lorry waited in Eton Avenue for 13 minutes behind one of their scaffolding trucks (which had been waiting for one hour and 50 minutes).

Then, around midday, using the gates reserved for “Emergency access for fire appliance” only, it continued to traverse the full length of the Hampstead Theatre terrace and reverse into the site.

It needed to do this in order to leave the site into the market square. When asked what they were doing the traffic marshals said they had no other option. How many more times during this build will there be no other option other than to infringe the CMP?

This massive articulated plant lorry, carrying the excavator, was a great deal longer than the 10.2-metre tipper trucks designated for Winchester Road, market and open space. Why have these vehicles not been factored into the CMP?

How can the developers justify using the access designated for fire appliance emergency only and in so doing the path along the sensitive Hampstead Theatre terrace, which, mercifully, due to the rain, was not frequented by the public on this particular day?

Without proper enforcements, including financial penalty, chances are the developers will continue to breach the CMP with impunity. The community is very concerned about the real danger that these kind of infractions pose.

EDIE RAFF
Chair, Cresta House
Residents’ Association

JANINE SACHS
Chair, Save Swiss Cottage

DAVID REED
Treasurer, Save Swiss Cottage Action Group

ELAINE CHAMBERS
Chair, Winchester Road Residents’ Association

PETER SYMONDS
Chair, Combined
Residents Association
South Hampstead