Wednesday 19 September 2018

Railway Hotel Edgware - Planning update - Owner wants to turn car park into a car wash

There has been some frantic activity on the Railway Hotel in Edgware recently.


It has emerged that there is building works currently being undertaken. Uncorroborated reports indicate that the upstairs is being converted into flats whilst the downstairs will become a Lebanese Restaurant.

It appears that the building contractors are not certified for working on listed buildings and that no plans for alteration to such a building have been submitted.

What has been submitted is a plan to install a car wash operation, using portacabins, at the back. The Barnet Eye is appalled that anyone could possibly think that this is a suitable addition to a Grade II Listed building. The Railway Hotel could and should be the jewel in the crown on Edgware High Street. A carwash operating from a portacabin around the back is in no way an asset to the site. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against car washes. We have one at our site in Bunns Lane which is a fine addition to the services available in Mill Hill for motorists (most useful with all the dust being generated from the NIMR demolition), but we are in an industrial estate, not in a Grade II listed building.

If you do not want to see a further degeneration of the site, please leave an objection on the planning request (Click here to access the planning request).

Once again, it makes you wonder what our local councillors actually do for their £10K a year allowances? They are clearly not doing anything to represent their constituents. Even more worrying is that it states Urban Design & Heritage were consulted with Consultation Date: Thu 06 Sep 2018. They didn't bother to leave a comment. What on earth are we paying our taxes for is they can't see the problem with proposals such as this?

*** Update 27/09/2018 ***
As of this morning, there have been 51 objections lodged to this application. Whilst this is an amazing achievement in the space of 8 days, we need a minimum of 100 to ensure that the council take the opposition to this scheme seriously. Please circulate this as widely as possible.
Click here to post an objection
*** Update Ends ***

5 comments:

Unknown said...

It's so sad that this beautiful building has been left to rot. It should be restored and the car park for patrons, not a carwash

johno said...

demolished in 1928, re built in 1931 one nice feature was masonic hall upstairs later a restaurant, most notable landlord was Tommy Van Hook who's son Peter became a well known songwriter, he even wrote TV themes. closed on 15th Dec 2005, and different owners have waited for it to "fall down in the night" especially the last silly attempt which sadly gutted the whole downstairs and destroyed the beautiful painting above fireplace. Carwash has been up and running for nearly a year now ( planning permission in barnet? tsk ..don't be silly) people Edgware is dying- we don't call it edgware anymore but watling avenue north. Why are there chicken shops that open to silly o'clock on the high street making trouble hotspots? every weekend The Masons has trouble.. Born and bred here, but Barnet council do not care, a local brothel was brought to attention only for barnet spokeswoman to say " oh i don't care what people do in their own homes..." i was speechless .

Unknown said...

What are they doing at the council they have sat on this for far to long now and to end up with a fricking car wash at the back. Anything for money over the beauty they need to be taken to court over there stupidity. The heart of Edgware is being torn to shreds because they don't have the brains to get a proper company that has worked on grade 2 listed buildings. Somebody please wake me up as i think the whole world has gone mad.

Unknown said...

I am in objection to a car wash being built at the site of the old railway hotel site it should be renovated into a carvery restaurant, alterniavely it should be made into a harvester or Mitchell's and Carter restaurant and that will bring in a large crowd or have a restaurant based on Edgware through the centuries, a car wash would not lift up the image of Edgware it's more likely to bring the image down

Unknown said...

Pity weatherspoons could not of taken over they do some good restoration work. The whole area needs help.