KINGSTON AND NORTH KINGSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD

Conservation Areas Advisory Committee

PLANNING APPLICATION COMMENT FORM DATE: 13 July 2022

CA1

RBK ref: 22/01582/FUL

Address: 30 South Lane And 45-51 High Street Kingston Upon Thames KT1 1LQ Planning Officer: James Garside

Description of proposed works: Demolition of existing buildings and the erection of a part three, part four, part five storey building with a lower ground level to provide 759sqm of commercial floor space (Use Class E), 34 residential units (Class C3) and associated communal and open space in addition to associated highways works and landscaping

APPRAISAL

By full committee on …… 13 July 2022 …… with …… 6 …… members present

Issued on 13 Jul 2022

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.

The proposed development would cause significant harm to the settings and character of the two immediately adjacent Conservation Areas (Kingston Old Town & Riverside South) and would cause loss of privacy and amenity of the residential properties in South Lane.

The general appearance and elevation treatment of the proposed development along the High Street frontage seems bland and we would have hoped for a scheme with greater articulation which would enhance this important view of the town.

However, our main concern is the the height and mass which would increase the existing 3-4 storeys to a proposed 5 storeys, raising the overall height of development by 25%-66%. The proposed development of the High Street elevation would protrude above the heights of all adjoining buildings in this section of the Street, causing harm to the key views of Kingston Riverside including those from Home Park and Barge Walk, and Hampton Court Palace beyond.

Increasing the height & scale of the property will inevitably block light directly to the 2-storey residential properties behind at Nos. 13-22 South Lane. This loss of light would be compounded by the proposal to build a new 4-storey block of apartments on the west side of South Lane (no 30) in an area currently used as a surface car park with 2 industrial buildings of 2 storey height. This proposed block, again with bland brick elevations, is proposed to be built on the back of the pavement, creating a corridor effect in South Lane and causing significant harm to the setting and character of the Riverside South Conservation Area which features 2-storey Edwardian houses immediately opposite. As a direct result of the scale and height of this proposed block, the occupiers of the existing houses (Nos. 13-22) would also be overshadowed by the building and overlooked by the new residents, causing further significant loss of privacy and amenity.

It is difficult to see any public benefits offered by this planning application to offset the genuine harm it would cause to neighbouring heritage assets & it should be refused.

The Daylight/ Sunlight Report presented by the Applicant somehow contrives to suggest that there will be no impact on the houses on the east side of South Lane, which is highly implausible.