KINGSTON AND NORTH KINGSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD
Conservation Areas Advisory Committee

PLANNING APPLICATION COMMENT FORM
UPDATE: 13 Mar 2024

CA1
 RBK ref:

23/01865/FUL 		Address: 30 South Lane And 45-51 High Street Kingston Upon Thames KT1 1LQ

Planning Officer: Lucy Bennett

Description of proposed works:

Demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment to erect a part three, part four, part five storey building with a lower ground level to provide 761sqm of commercial floor space (Use Class E), 34 residential units (Class C3) and associated communal and open space.

APPRAISAL

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

Issued on 21 Aug 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

Response to the updated application:
Issued on 13 Mar 2024


Objection. We are supportive of the applicant’s efforts to bring these buildings back into active use & contribute to the character & appearance of the CA. We note the improvements made to the design of the scheme, in particular the ‘blended’ front fenestration detail to the northern & southern blocks & ‘softening’ of the impact of the fifth storey of the main block by the addition of a mansard roof - a common feature of the neighbouring blocks.

However, we continue to harbour the following reservations: a) we would much prefer the removal of the fifth storey altogether as we believe it would intrude excessively on the existing roof scape in this part of the CA - where the existing & all neighbouring buildings are four storeys or less - & also on important views from the Barge Walk & Home Park, directly opposite to the west of the Thames. Furthermore, we regret the recent addition of a 1.1m high glass balustrade to the top of the roof, which exacerbates our concern about building height; b) we note that the plant/ lift housing has been removed from the roof terrace to the fourth storey & now screened off, but still find it overbearing in scale & incongruous in nature when viewed from South Lane to the rear of the site in Riverside South CA.

Response to the original application:
Issued on 21 Aug 2023


Reason for objection:

Objection.

This site has been subject to pre-application advice & planning negotiations for several years without success - because of viability disputes. We have objected to the last 2 PAs on conservation grounds, primarily over-development. In our view the proposed new block in this latest PA remains too great in mass, scale, & height for its highly sensitive riverside setting & would severely compromise highly important views of the townscape & S Riverside CA from Barge Walk to the west. It would also overwhelm the Victorian cottages in South Lane directly behind to the east. At very least, the block should be reduced in height by 1 storey, to match the existing building height & that of its neighbouring property to the south. The proposal to designate the new roof top space for residential amenity is impractical in our view, would not be in character with the surrounding neighbourhood & could potentially cause unacceptable noise & loss of privacy for nearby residents. Furthermore & notwithstanding the applicant’s risk assessments, we believe the new basement level would pose a significant flood risk to occupants given the buildings’ close proximity to the River Thames. Finally, there are no demonstrable public benefits from the scheme: there is no affordable housing provision, indeed the applicant seeks to argue the scheme is technically non-viable even with 0% affordable units which is a somewhat peculiar position.