In the course of our discussions, we picked up that it had been suggested to planning officials that the original architects Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners (RSHP) didn’t want to be involved in completing the site.

Now that just didn’t chime with what we knew from our positive engagement with RSHP over the past year. We’ve worked with them to host visits to Oxley Woods from interested architects, BBC Radio 4, a TV company, and the mayor and councillors of Tower Hamlets council. We knew first hand the passion and commitment that RSHP have for their Oxley Woods scheme.

And now we have that confirmed in writing from RSHP themselves. Ivan Harbour has once again taken the trouble to write to Oxley Woods residents to share RSHP’s views on the designs put forward by Taylor Wimpey. He also reconfirms their continued willingness to develop alternative designs for the site based on the original concept.

All Taylor Wimpey has to do is ask… how about it?

Attached are Ivan Harbour’s letters to Oxley Woods residents from March 2011 and January 2012.

110309_Ivan_Harbour_Oxley_residents_letter

120109_Ivan_Harbour_Oxley_residents_letter

{Guest post by Chris}

While short notice, we would encourage those interested in the plans to try to attend one, or both of the meetings.

The meetings will be held at the Oxley Park Community Centre (building next to Oxley Park Academy school), and be held on Friday 30th December, 4pm – 6pm and Monday 2nd January, 4pm – 6pm.

Well, despite the odds being stacked in Taylor Wimpey’s favour by a company who “shape opinion to give you a genuine commercial advantage” the public managed to attend, and their response was a resounding “No”.

Their own figures show that 72 percent of respondents DO NOT support even the principles, let alone the details of Wimpey’s plans.

Ouch.

You may see plans of boring properties, read spin and generally take in Wimpey’s plans to steam-roller Oxley Woods on the Milton Keynes Partnership website.

You may have noticed that some pink signs are up on a couple of lamposts in Milland Way, a week after the submission to trash Oxley Woods arrived from Wimpey.

Go read them.

Then please object, object in the strongest terms.

At the time of writing we still cannot find any details of the application online, which we thought would be become available via the online planning portal system. Perhaps this is different as its a builder just looking to do what they want and add a couple of new hoses, so therefore doesn’t have to go through the same level of scrutiny as if an individual wanted to put up a small outhouse or something? I don’t know.

A planning application for 26 dwellings has been received today at Milton Keynes council.

Nothing spectacular there, but these 26 dwellings are the neither here nor there brick and render clad houses which Taylor Wimpey wish to build in place of the 23 remaning, undeveloped houses of the RSH+P designed, multi-award winning, government backed, flagship Oxley Woods development, as originally planned and promoted to would-be residents buying into this development (still being promoted as of last month as a 145 home development by Wimpey themselves, truth in advertising?!).

We’re waiting on more details, but a letter will be on its way to “all Oxley Woods residents by the end of the week” and will outline a statutory “21 day consultation period for comment”.

So that’s 21 days, over Christmas and New Year, when they know people will be very busy and it will be hardest for their own customers to object to their plans to trash the community we all bought in to Wimpey’s “good word”.

Nicely timed Wimpey, not devious at all. And while you’re at it, why not try further profiteering by adding three more homes, just to rub salt into the wound?

Apparently the fact that Wimpey have timed their move as such will be taken into account, some leeway may be granted, but still… If only Wimpey’s distain for residents could be part of the consideration for planning, but it isn’t, more’s the pity. So much for the season of goodwill.

More discussion for residents is ongoing in the residents forum here at Oxley Woods Living, a meeting may be arranged to discuss how to go forward against Wimpey.

Fore more on the history of Wimpey’s moves to dump Oxley Woods, see the Oxley Woods Future section of the blog.