HOW many of your readers know the plans for Shepherds Bush Green that are about to be inflicted on us unless we protest?
Some of them - new tree-planting, rationalising the paths and extra lighting - are an excellent idea, but our concerns are about the following.
First, there is a plan to cut down 20 trees, some of them mature specimens which can never be replaced.
Next, we can't understand why the new sports area should not be sited where the tennis courts are, rather than cutting down trees to re-site it somewhere else.
What is the point of hills and slopes? These are not natural features of the landscape of the Green and will take an enormous amount of digging and returfing - and precious time to construct.
As for the urban benches, which face outwards - who wants to sit on the Green staring at the traffic?
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, there is the café. There is no need at all for one when Shepherds Bush Green already has dozens of cafés and eateries around it.
It is of brutalist design and the building of it would take up green space which, once built on, can never be replaced. It would also be a natural target for vandals and graffiti artists and attract all the myriad tramps, drinkers and drug-dealers who use the Green as their base.
What we need on the Green is a simple plan which involves much better maintenance and proper policing, rather than a costly and time consuming new design which will presumably mean that the Green will be out of bounds to anyone for a year at least.
If anyone wants to object, e-mail naoual.margoum@pins.gsi.gov.uk, citing planning ref application 2009/00758/FR3 and putting in your full name and address.
VIRGINIA IRONSIDE
Chair RAPA
