Dr Onkar Sahota's application in Haven Green goes back to drawing board

Neighbours are celebrating after a building application for a 128 year old house in Ealing's Haven Green Conservation area was thrown out at committee last night (Wednesday 13th March)

The substantial property on Castlebar Road - bordering Longfield Walk was bought in 2011 for £1.4million by Ealing and Hillingdon GLA representative Dr Onkar Sahota.

He wanted to add a basement, extend the house both sideways and to the rear and add a glass roof.

Over a hundred people objected to the plans, claiming the proposals were highly detrimental to the area.

Last night - despite the application being recommended for approval by Ealing Council planners - a committee of Councillors rejected it.

10 voted against the proposed development, none for and there were three abstentions.

Councillors were particularly unhappy with the glass roof extension which they described as looking like a glass 'roof box'.

Liberal Democrat Councillor, Nigel Bakhai, voted against the application. He said: '' The plans were out of character with the Haven Green Conservation Area and I could not support officer's recommendation to approve.''

Victor Mishiku, who has been heading the local campaign says he used his 27 years' experience of planning issues to help local residents.

He is appalled by the whole procedure, claiming planners 'ruthlessly' tried to push through this application and adds: '' Is Ealing Council Planning Department "fit for purpose"?  The 43 Castlebar Road case attracted comments from the Committee that the report was poorly written, absurd, in defiance of reality, insulting (to the intelligence) and part of the proposal was described as "disgraceful" and resulting in the glass box roof extension making the top roof part of the development being "lit up like a Xmas Tree''.

Next door neighbour Judy Jaafar says: '' I and others will be writing formal letters of complaint to the LBE chief executive about how badly this whole application was handled by the Planning Department, about procedural irregularities and about how the planners were quite happy to break almost all their own planning guidelines in an effort to push this through. Fortunately the councillors saw through all the nonsense, "lies" in the words of one councillor, and we saw informed local democracy in action.''

We have requested a comment from Dr Sahota and will update with his response when it is received.

14th March 2013