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The Public Inquiry into St George's plans to build 251 residential units at the former Motorail Site starts this Wednesday, September 3rd. The Public Inquiry will provide the office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott with recommendations about the proposed development. Sinclair Road Residents Association (SRRA) encourages residents to attend as many sessions as possible (SRRA Web site) to demonstrate support to the campaign against St George's plans.

The plans are for a 435m long predominantly five-storey continuous block of flats abutting the railway, with a two-storey house at each end. The site, known as the Olympia car park, is situated just to the north of Olympia Exhibition Centre. It is a thin strip of land, running in a south-east to north-west direction, between the West London Railway line and the rear of the nos. 2 to 150 Sinclair Road.

Both councils involved, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea, have unanimously rejected the first Planning Application to develop the Olympia Car Park. But the biggest developer appealed against the councils' decision and now a Public Inquiry will be held.
Residents oppose to the redevelopment of the site because of its adverse consequences, which include increased traffic congestion, road safety, reduced parking space, air pollution, noise, the loss of the woodland and its fauna and flora, overloading local services, problems with public transport and security risks.

The Inquiry will sit on the following dates and venues:
September 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 Hammermith Town Hall
September 23 (morning session) Kensington Town Hall
September 23 (evening session 5pm onwards) Hammermith Town Hall
September 24, 25 (only till 3pm) Kensington Town Hall
September 30 Hammersmith Town Hall
October 1,2,3, 16, 17 Hammersmith Town Hall (the last two dates above (16 & 17/10) are currently only provisional, depending on progress at the Public Inquiry).

On each day the inquiry will start at 10am and close at about 5pm. Fridays may have an earlier close at around 3pm but this will have the same opening time. There will be short morning and afternoon breaks with 45 minutes for lunch (breaking 12.30 and 1pm and the afternoon session not starting before 1.30).

SRRA will be presenting its evidence on the 1st and 2nd of October. Other organisations, such as the Brook Green Residents' Association, the Holland Park West Residents' Association, the West Kensington Residents' Association and the Hammersmith Society, will also be heard on those dates.

SRRA encourages its members to attend as many sessions as possible, with emphasis on the 23 September evening "open" session, and on the last 3 days of the Inquiry, when residents' groups and other organisations will be submitting their evidence.