Now gone to the high court. Queens Park Rangersâ plans to build a new Training and Academy centre could be under threat after a campaign group lodged papers in the High Court claiming the decision to allow the development was unlawful. âSave Warren Farmâ campaigners lodged papers in the High Court of Justice to Judicially Review Ealing Councilâs decision to sign over 61 acres of Londonâs Green Belt, rent free for 200 years, to QPR for their new Training and Academy HQ. Campaigners allege that the decision is unlawful on several grounds including the enclosure of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and concerns about the impartiality of councillors handling both the decision to grant the rent-free lease and the planning permission. Warren Farm Playing Fields in the London Borough of Ealing are designated MOL and Community Open Space, within the Brent River Park. The land has been used as playing fields for the Boroughâs schools and local sports clubs for over 50 years, but successive Councils have allowed the changing rooms to fall into disrepair. QPRâs development would comprise a two storey plus basement training centre building, a three storey multi-functional âoperationsâ building (both the equivalent of a four/five storey block of flats), and an indoor sports hall (equivalent to a 5-6 storey residential block). There would be two other ancillary buildings, including an energy centre, the emissions stacks on which would also be the equivalent of 5-6 storeys high. They were hoping that the facility would be ready by 2016.
This was a top priority when TF took over in 2011. It'll be 5 years at best, if this doesn't delay things further. Pretty sure this is the slowest country in the world to get capital works done.
They cant win, its just a delaying tactic. The no rent thing sounds bad until you realise we are putting tens of millions into making the public facilities better.
Wrong to dismiss this as nonsense. People have a reasonable right to challenge these decisions especially with the change in class and use of 'public' land. Councillors are not exactly impartial and will have to prove this development benefits the community more than it takes away. All part of the due process and we should be thankful that we still have a right to challenge and hold elected officials accountable.
“Once it is lost we won't get it back. Warren Farm is used and valued by local people and Ealing Council should comply with national planning policy that calls for councils to 'plan positively to enhance the beneficial use of the Green Belt'**, and further that 'The planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by protecting and enhancing valued landscapes'***” Clearly valued by locals looking at the state of the place!! What utter rubbish. Some people just want to et their 15 minutes of fame! Incredible!
Its got nothing to do with that, they will lose but just want to cause as much hassle as possible, whats more use to the public, a place where dogs can **** everywhere or a dozen well maintained public football and cricket pitches as well as new changing rooms and facilities?
Lucky for us the campaigners dont have deep pockets Would expect that we can knock this out at the initial appeal stage. They really don't have much of a case
You cannot say for certainty that a challenge will fail or lose. Only a court can decide that based on facts not histrionics from us because we want better training facilities. We as QPR fans are hardly impartial are we?
Yes I will agree with you on protracted processes. I have innumerable schemes stuck within the Kafkaesque planning system. And its getting worse.
They may not have much of a case but it appears to be up to the council & those who act for us to demonstrate that they have acted in accordance with all the planning guidelines and impartially in arriving at their decision. It then depends on how the Judge views the whole process. As has been said previously this could run for some time.....
Being based in the midlands you probably don’t realise what a **** hole this place is at the moment. It is barely used and its main purpose at the moment is a giant space filled with dog ****e because dog walkers are the only people that regularly use it. Something had to happen here. Indians tried to stop it because they wanted to urn it into a massive wedding centre because that would generate the owners a lot of dosh being placed so close to Southall. The green brigade and NIMBY’s and dog walkers main issue is that the QPR section is going to be closed off and have a media centre and all that modern club stuff in there. However we are taking a disused and run-down site and providing and guaranteeing to maintain a significant amount of high quality facilities to the community/ council at no cost. It’s a no brainer and they have a weak case- the protests are from a small group of nutters while we have the council and residents association on our side. Remember these comments from the residents association; http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/040613-residents-welcome-rs-at-warren-farm-850636.aspx Can never guaratnee what a judge will do but on the balance of probabilities are that a small group of nutters wont be able to disrupt things too much
Well firstly I'm not in the Midlands. I'm in Sheffield. Secondly I have actually seen the area recently. Lastly, 'nutters' or not they are council tax paying residents and voters and have every right to challenge a decision to use 'public' land. If it was being given 'rent free' to a supermarket who promised to provide 'public facilities' there would be a bigger outcry wouldn't there? Remember this hinges around giving 'public' land to a private company and once built cannot be rescinded. Important principles in play here in so much as a transparent process has been undertaken and open to public scrutiny. Neither you nor I can say that has been undertaken or not and therefore it is right imo that the 'nutters' as you call them are afforded their opportunity to challenge the process. We do live in a (diminishing) democracy after all.
Midlands/north- doesnt matter- your not local- but if you have seen this site then you know it needs to be dealt with. Have a look at the changing rooms!! QPR are investing 30 million in the site. Then maintaining it at no cost to the council. It isnt building a supermarket on a run down disused sports facility. It is building a state of the art well maintained sports facility on a run down disused sports facility so your example isn't comparable. The site has no prospect of being improved to this extent. The alternative was to build a wedding site on top of a run down sports facility with a fraction of the investment in the community side It will provide the community with new changing rooms, improved pitches, a floodlit artificial grass pitch, a café, a multi-use games area with markings for tennis and netball, artificial cricket facilities and space for grass pitches that can be marked out for sports, including mini, junior, youth and adult sized pitches The campaign group is a mixture of old people who need something to do and get angry about as a way of justifying their existence. They don’t have any interest and wont feel the benefits of the extensive and top quality sports facilities being provided for the community because they are of a generation that wont feel that benefit directly. BUT they are concerned their dog will have a smaller area to defecate While the key leaders are the irrational green nutters, who have been involved in various other campaigns. Oh and finally the actor that played Poirot is involved somehow as well Also I don’t see what is democratic about a noisy minority harming the majority
Do you think a run down wreck of a place only good for letting dogs **** there is better than a state of the art facility thats not paid by the tax payer? Half a dozen NIMBYs (who hilariously had to rope in their kids for a photo and they still couldnt reach double figures) should not be able to go against the wishes of tens of thousands of people. A democratic society should ensure an easy win for QPR and the council. It will drag on but thats all they can do, if they win, I will stop posting on here...wait a minute, that might vastly increase their numbers so I might have to step back on that idea.
I ,too, value the benefits of our 'democracy' such as it is. I suppose my comment was shorthand for: "Hopefully TF's deep pockets can deal with this challenge and demonstrate to a Court that the deal is actually in the best interest of all." The 'Nonsense' is the QPR supporter in me that wants this underway asap. I do actually think it is nonsense for the reasons expressed by other about the current state of the land and its potential future under QPR.
But where will their dogs be able to have a poo if the only public bit has state of the art football/cricket pitches and changing rooms that can only be used by appointment? Think of poor lassie won't you?
The Club could hang little black plastic bags suitable for use and disposal, on the metal railings around the Centre.
Probably halve the people objecting have never placed a foot on the place and the other halve just let their dogs crap on it.
