KINGSTON AND NORTH KINGSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD

Conservation Areas Advisory Committee

PLANNING APPLICATION COMMENT FORM DATE: 13 September 2023

CA7

RBK ref: 23/02342/FUL

Address: 1 Fassett Road Kingston Upon Thames Planning Officer: William Flaherty

Description of proposed works: Demolition of existing residential building and erection of 13 residential units over five storeys (including lower ground floor and roofspace), together with associated landscaping, playspace and disabled parking space.

APPRAISAL

By full committee on …… 13 September 2023 …… with …… 6 …… members present

Issued on 13 Sep 2023

1. Positive support		2. No objection
3. Objection	X	4. Objection unless revised as below
5. No comment/neutral		6. Lack of detail
7. Decision already issued

Reason for objection:

Objection. We acknowledge that this site has potential for redevelopment. As officers state in their pre-app advice, the existing building makes a neutral contribution to the character & appearance of the CA. The question is whether this PA would deliver a new building & associated benefits that are better or at least no worse?

From a conservation perspective, in our view it does not. Although the applicant has reduced the number of residential units in its initial proposals from 17 to 13 eg to improve internal space standards, this still represents over-development of what is a fairly compact site in a quiet residential area, & results in a series of large gabled structures of disproportionate mass, height & scale compared with its immediate neighbours. At five storeys (including basement) the proposed roof line would be approximately one storey higher than any other residential properties in the vicinity. Furthermore the design & colour palette of the block(s) is(are) very bland & eg incorporate none of the architectural cues prevalent elsewhere in the CA. Indeed, the proposed fenestration is large/ almost industrial in nature (to improve internal daylight) & out of character with the typology of this predominately residential neighbourhood. The proposals do not sit comfortably with the number of listed & locally-listed buildings that are in close proximity, in particular the impact of the large side elevations would have. detrimental effect on the setting of the grade 2 listed St John the Evangelist Church.

In summary, unless the applicant moderates its proposals by eg reducing the building height by at least one storey & improving the architectural interest of the building by eg reflecting more of the Victorian typology of the CA, then we request that this PA is called in for consideration by members (we assume Planning Committee given the number of residential units proposed).