Pavement south of Moss Bros, 14-16 St. John’s Hill, 2025/0853 and 0863

The Battersea Society objects to this application for the erection of what is effectively a large-scale structure for advertisements. This siting is particularly harmful as it is sited on an extremely busy stretch of pavement close to a main entrance to Clapham Junction railway station, on a short stretch of pavement between a bus stop and a bike rack and near to the traffic lights on a very busy junction. The photographer must have got up very early to find the photo on page 2 of the planning statement as this is wholly untypical of the crowded state of this stretch of pavement leading to one of the heaviest used stations in Europe.

To summarise, this structure - 1.3 metres wide and 2.6 metres high - will

• amount to needless and highly visible street clutter, damaging to the visual amenity of the area.

• form a substantial blockage on the pavement, reducing amenity and safety, especially for people with disabilities, travellers with luggage and families with young children.

For all these reasons, the application does not meet the requirements of policies LP9 and LP22 in the Local Plan; and the harms are not accompanied by any substantial benefits. The inclusion of telephone and internet access provides no justification for the erection of the structure. Indeed, since the applicant admits that they can become a focus for criminal and anti-social behaviour, such facilities add to the reasons why the application should be rejected. In addition, the inclusion of a defibrillator is pointless unless staff in nearby shops can be reached and are trained in their use.

We therefore trust that the applications will be refused.