Oval Cricket Ground

We oppose Oval's plan

Jun 27 2003

I AM writing to correct several, I feel, misleading impressions given by your article on the proposed redevelopment of the Oval Cricket Ground ("Battle for The Oval", South London Press, June 20).

Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) are quoted as stating that the "lightweight" screen would be an "important landmark". In view of the fact that, at 26.5metres, it will tower above its surroundings, it could hardly fail to be anything but a landmark.

The use of the term "lightweight" is misleading because the fact remains that the overall impression, to the top of this roof, will be one of enormous bulk, totally out of scale with its surroundings.

Your report also asserts that the proposed "living screen" will wrap itself around the outside of the building, providing a changing display of plants. We do not believe that this will work. Anyone who has seen the tatty state of a similar "living screen" around the Imax cinema will know that "living" is hardly the correct adjective.

The Oval screen would be much larger, at over 60ft high. We certainly do not consider that it would provide a "more attractive look for Harleyford Road residents" and believe that it has been proposed merely to cover up the fact that the back of the building (i.e. the face which we will all see for 365 days a year) is, in fact, an unfinished design, just as messy and untidy as the buildings which currently occupy the site. We fail to see how the SCCC can say that it "represents an improvement for our neighbours".

SCCC are also quoted as saying that the stand is "further away from our neighbours than the current stands". Again, this is misleading because the much-hyped "living screen" in fact follows the same line as the back of the existing buildings and, in several places, is actually closer to its neighbours. In any case, on the Vauxhall Street side of the ground, the actual building comes virtually to the perimeter wall.

This occurs precisely opposite Oval Mansions, currently being renovated and renewed. Given the narrowness of the street at this point, the new stand would create a very unpleasant canyon effect.

This, coupled with the fact that the new stand would effectively be turning its back on its surroundings, will do nothing to improve the desolate street-scape around the Oval. In fact, we believe that the sense of alienation from these surroundings which already exists will be worsened and that the problems already experienced with petty crime and vandalism will increase.

You report the SCCC as stating that they can demonstrate that the proposals will "not have the impact on local daylight and sunlight levels that some of our neighbours fear". This may well be correct within the letter of the law which governs the light reading tests which have been conducted for this application, but the fact remains that Veronica Accouche, whom you feature, would have to lie on the floor to be able even to see the sky. Something rather difficult for a wheelchair user who is virtually housebound to be able to do.

Colin Baldy
Chairman
Kennington Oval and Harleyford Road Residents' Action Group

* The application was approved at Tuesday's meeting of Lambeth's planning applications committee.

[ Previous | Next ]