KINGSTON AND NORTH KINGSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD

Conservation Areas Advisory Committee

PLANNING APPLICATION COMMENT FORM DATE: 8 February 2023

CA25

RBK ref: 23/00188/HOU

Address: Wrenfield House 109 Lower Ham Road Kingston Upon Thames KT2 5BD Planning Officer: James Garside

Description of proposed works: Erection of part two storey, part single storey and part three storey side extensions

APPRAISAL

By full committee on …… 8 February 2023 …… with …… 8 …… members present

Issued on 8 Feb 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:

Strong objection. These proposals are unacceptable in our view & would cause harm to the character & appearance of one of Kingston’s most beautiful CAs.

The existing property was constructed in the 1960s in what the applicant’s Heritage Statement describes as the ‘California perpendicular style’. It is distinctive but discreet & does not distract from the natural beauty of this much-loved/ used stretch of the River Thames.

Yet the applicant seeks to refurbish very little, if any, of the original property or preserve its stylistic cues; rather they propose a scheme of inappropriate scale (3 storeys when its neighbouring properties are of 1 or 2 storeys), excessive bulk & mass, & insensitive design. Furthermore, this is an elevated plot and borders the open playing fields of the Hawker YMCA & the proposed scheme would dominate important Riverside views for miles around.

This application must also be refused to stop over-development ongoing elsewhere in this part of the CA (107 & 114 Lower Ham Road refer) which provides no public benefit & causes harm to the character & appearance of North Riverside.