Three Mills West Stratford
February 21st, 2010
UPDATE: 13/11/25 It became QMU Aspire Point Stratford
UPDATE: 14/8/16 “A former Esso Petrol station is set to become a thriving student complex and arts centre thanks to Alumno Developments. Start on site Spring 2016″ – allegedly.
So a site I visited six years ago is happening without the single aspect flats I complained about below because the developer has changed and all the rooms will be single aspect as student rooms.
More single aspect flats
This scheme for Stratford passed for planning on 9th September following acceptance of the S106 agreement, depresses me because there are much better ways to design flats and avoid the problems of single aspect dwellings.
https://pa.newham.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=simple&searchType=Application
Planning reference: 09/01746/LTGDC
Drawing number: 2841_L102
Enlarge it to 150% and take a look at typical floor (3-7 & 10-23). 1 bed s/a facing SW. 2 bed s/a facing SE. 2 bed s/a facing NW which will have an intimate view of James Riley Point and its inhabitants. [No they won’t. James Riley Point is going to be demolished – Ed.] These are emphatically not back to backs. If the owners desire a change of air they can always open the front door and through ventilate the flat but it’s not ideal, and no choice of view. There are seven flats on each floor and of those three are single aspect.
We suspect that the south-west facing, single-aspect flats will be particularly hard to keep cool in summer. If blinds or other shading devices are needed this will have a significant effect on the composition of the facades and therefore should be designed as part of the whole elevation at this stage to avoid the danger of a retrofit solution that is not coordinated with the elevation design.
The above is from the CABE response linked to from the title of this article at Three Mills West Stratford
CABE are talking about the 1 bed flats on the l/h side of the drawing I’ve mentioned above. Surely what is just as bad is that by having to have blinds the residents are then denied the view, or with a/c cannot enjoy the benefits of a fresh breeze. With a properly designed flat they could have the windows open, create a draught and have the sunny view. More poor design. But then I’m not an architect. However, I have lived in flats both good and bad and common sense and experience lead me to the above opinion.
UPDATE: I went to visit this site yesterday 23/6/2010. It is still an empty plot and a Kwikfit garage opposite the Holiday Inn on the other corner, and very close to James Riley point. A quick internet search reveals this:-
https://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=1936
An aerial view of the site including James Riley point
“A former Esso Petrol station is set to become a thriving student complex and arts centre thanks to Alumno Developments”
Site with James Riley point at left of picture
Site from Holiday Inn 1st floor Esso garage demolished
Site from Holiday Inn 1st floor looking NE
Site looking towards SW with Holiday Inn in background
A local take on the issues involved from a Carpenters Estate resident:-
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=60193419
A film about the estate made by children(?)
Stratford Metropolitan Masterplan Supporting Document
Carpenters Estate Options Appraisal
More on Carpenters here:-
Council estates and the archaeology of everyday life in east London I have recently been involved in a project exploring the social landscapes of the Carpenters Road Estate in east London, which has formed the basis for a series of three short films which are part of the Open University course AD281 Understanding Global Heritage2.
The Carpenters Road Estate is a public housing estate located in Newham, Stratford in east London, directly adjacent to the 2012 Olympics site. It was constructed after 1965 and comprises a mixture of high rise and low rise housing. It is dominated by three 23-storey tower blocks—Dennison Point, James Riley Point and Lund Point—which were completed in 1968.
Newham is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the country, with no single ethnic group dominating the population. This ethnic mix is reflected in the vibrant community of the Estate.
Residents have been involved in long negotiations with Newham council about the future of the Estate in the light of Council’s plans to regenerate the area in conjunction with various works associated with the 2012 London Olympics.
UPDATE: 26/10/11 I just spoke to reception at the Holiday Inn next door to the site and was told it is still an empty site. LB received pp on 9th September 2010, over a year ago, and nothing’s happening. The LB website has no information about the project that I could see.