The City Mission Church, on the corner of Harrow Road and Scrubs Lane, has been part of the community for 20 years. Now the Church, Nursery, food bank and many other services (particularly aimed at the BAME community) is in trouble. Despite being recognised as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) by Brent and Hammersmith & Fulham Councils, their property-developer landlords have given them all notice to quit by this FRIDAY 4th NOVEMBER!
The Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum has joined with Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum and the St Quintin and Woodlands Neighbourhood Forum (in North Kensington) to do all we can to support the church. A long list of other residents and community groups can help the fight.
Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WRJZCSK to find a petition set up in the last 24 hours, to the Mayor of London. The OPDC (as the planning authority involved) is a Mayoral Development Corporation.
PLEASE DO THIS WITHOUT DELAY.
Background
In 2018 the site’s owners gained planning permission to build a 20 storey block of flats on the church site. At that time they promised to reprovide space for the church and the nursery within the new building. This year that planning permission expired.
The developers have been in discussion with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) as they, not Brent nor Hammersmith & Fulham Council, are the planning authority for the site.
OONF and the StQW Neighbourhood Forum have written twice this week to solicitors acting for the landlords Scrubs Lane Ltd, an offshoot of Fruition Properties Ltd.
We have flagged up all the reasons why these landowners/developers are unlikely to succeed in obtaining a new planning permission for their site, if this is how they treat the church and day nursery. They knew in 2015 that in buying a site occupied by these longstanding uses, planning obligations would be likely to be imposed on any new development. This remains the case, and we do not understand the motivations and intentions of these developers.
Please add your signature to the petition, to help signal that developers at Old Oak cannot keep ignoring the views of local people. The letters sent from OONF and StQW can be downloaded here OONF to Gisby Harrison on City Mission Church final: and the second letter here OONF to Gisby Harrison on City Mission Church final 2nd Nov. No reply as of 3rd November.