This Thursday is the deadline for commenting on the current planning application to demolish the Grove Road Texaco Garage and replace it with 19 apartments. This planning application is a resubmission of an earlier application (PA/21/01417/A1) which was granted detailed planning consent on 19th May 2022. But as the developer didn’t start construction works within the three year limit they have had to resubmit.

FoMEP don’t usually have much reason to get involved in planning applications as the park is (fingers crossed) green land that can’t be built on. But as this application borders the park directly, we have taken a look at the application as it may affect park users.

As everyone knows we need more housing, and with Tower Hamlets having around 24,399 on the local authority’s housing register that is certainly the case around here. So there seems to be a prima facie case to go ahead and build. But having read the lion’s share of 38 documents that are bundled with the application we have some concerns:

1. The development has NO affordable housing. There is a 126-page Financial Viability Assessment dedicated to explaining why.
2. The development is almost three metres higher than anything nearby. The application states it is a 4-storey development. It is actually five! This area of Bow is designated low-rise and this scheme will negatively impact the neighbouring low-rise properties in the Clinton Road Conservation Area especially. The development is one storey too high.
3. The Environmental Investigation Report accompanying the application is from 2014. It is unacceptable to put in an application with such an old environmental survey. It is to important to be relying on old information.

It is the last of these points that is the most concerning. The conclusions and recommendations from this 2014 report state:

The concentrations of hydrocarbons identified in soil and groundwater pose a potentially unacceptable risk to site employees and neighbouring/future on-site residents (if/when the site was to be redeveloped). Further investigation, assessment and possibly remedial works will be necessary to address this potential risk.

The concentrations of hydrocarbons identified in groundwater also pose a potentially unacceptable risk to environmental receptors, notably: the underlying aquifer and a nearby groundwater abstraction. Further work is required to assess this potential risk in more detail

Redeveloping former petrol station sites is notoriously costly due to the difficulty in removing the underground tanks* (e.g. cold cutting tools are needed) and preventing contamination of the groundwater and soil with contaminants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. The 2014 report indicated the levels of these contaminants posed a potentially unacceptable risk. What is the condition of the tanks NOW, ten years later? Have the developers got the reserves should costs escalate, or will we be left with exposed fuel tanks and the resulting pollution?

*The underground fuel tanks contain around 80,000L of fuel, all three are constructed of single skin steel and the oldest of which is from 1962.

What do you think of the application?

Let us know via email (to info@fomep.org.uk) and do let the planners know either via email to development.control@towerhamlets.gov.uk or by commenting on the council’s planning website. Be sure to quote planning reference PA/24/01789/A1.

Further Reading:

• Plans to redevelop the site have been submitted numerous times over the last decade or so (see the old MEOTRA website for a taster).
• The Roman Road London’s site recently posted an article on the current application suggesting that the previous application was refused. This is not the case. Permission was given, although due to financial issues the demolition and building work did not start. This current application in effect is a renewal of the 2021 application