Local residents are shocked to learn that the application to demolish a family home at 32 Kingsend to build a block of 5 flats with a basement was allowed upon appeal this week.
As the news is being absorbed, some people admit that in hindsight they were too complacent and should have made more of an effort to raise their oppositions. They recall the wave of planning proposals to demolish houses in Ruislip between 2006 -2008 that prompted the extension of the Ruislip Village Conservation Area (RVCA) to include roads west of the High Street down to Wood Lane that “should act as a powerful deterrent to approval of some future planning applications.” ( Page 13 from Town Crier February 2009).
October 2007 article from the Town Crier
Ruislip Residents’ Association Town Crier – October 2007
May 2008 article from the Town Crier
Ruislip Residents’ Association Town Crier – May 2008
February 2009 article from Town Crier
In the past year or so there have been another eight applications in the Kingsend area in which Sue has been heavily involved. Only two of these have been approved which is an indication of what can be achieved when residents are able to respond in a coordinated and constructive manner. We expect the credit crunch will contribute to a respite in the number of applications in the immediate future. However when the economy improves we anticipate developers will revive their interest in the area even though it is now part of the extended Ruislip Village Conservation Area. Ruislip Residents’ Association Town Crier – February 2009
There were already too many flats on Kingsend
In addition, there is an awareness that plans for a flatted development in Kingsend, ref: 73975/APP/2020/3392 had been recently refused because the number of original dwellings in Kingsend developed to flats has exceeded 10% for years at 13.4% using a criteria consistently applied by LBH for the last 19 years.
Local residents have now expressed distrust in the system because the Planning Inspectorate agreed to a different calculation presented by the appellant.
High Risk Concerns
High Water Levels
No 32 Kingsend is located towards the top of the hill. Over the last few years local gardens have suffered from high surface water levels never experienced when they first moved to their homes decades ago.
This flooding has been raised with London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH) who stated in an email dated 17 March 2025 as follows;
“Hillingdon Council are aware of the overall high groundwater table within the Ruislip area, and we have begun investigating into the possible causes and remedies for it. However, this is expected to be long-term investigation involving a number of Risk Management Authorities, and we cannot confirm when the investigation will be finalised, or if there is even a feasible remedy that can be implemented.”
It is concerning that LBH did not inform the Planning Inspectorate of these investigations during the appeal process that commenced at end March 2025.
Subsidence
There are concerns because many dwellings in the area are known to have experienced subsidence and so these elevated groundwater levels may further weaken soil strength, reduce bearing capacity, and increase flood risk.
Large tree removal
The allowed development involves removing a large TPO tree that will cause clay soils to swell (heave) and may destabilise the slope where the site is located. The applicant’s basement Impact Assessment Survey was accepted by LBH and the Planning Inspectorate, but did not include an assessment on how root systems and water uptake will affect ground conditions.
Detailed professional surveys are necessary
It is necessary that in an area known to be affected by subsidence, high water levels, the impact of large tree removal, and inevitable deep excavations for a basement the LBH must insist on more detailed surveys to fully assess all these factors that can destabilize the ground before works on excavating the site for a deep basement can be allowed to commence.
IN SUMMARY
LBH should not allow works to commence until surveys and method statements are submitted and approved to address the following high risk concerns:
- Subsidence and Ground Instability – already evident in the area, worsened by excavation.
- High Water Levels – increasing flood risk and reducing soil bearing capacity.
- Tree Removal – altering soil moisture balance, potentially causing heave or destabilisation.
- Topology – a detailed evaluation of underlying soil makeup is necessary before deep excavations for a basement can take place
- Neighbouring Amenity – risk of structural damage, noise, vibration, and traffic disruption.
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