On Thursday 11th December 2014, St George submitted their planning application for the redevelopment of the Old Post Office site...
The site is located in the Eden Quarter, between Kingston Upon Thames' historic center and conservation areas.
The full planning application '14/13247' documents can be seen on the Council website here.
The design proposal document is here.
The planning consultation was open for comments on the Council website until January 30. However letters and emails are still being accepted up until the decision is made. RKB Planning Department had received 367 written responses when we last checked on 23rd February 2015.
The full planning application '14/13247' documents can be seen on the Council website here.
The design proposal document is here.
The planning consultation was open for comments on the Council website until January 30. However letters and emails are still being accepted up until the decision is made. RKB Planning Department had received 367 written responses when we last checked on 23rd February 2015.
Consultation
St George's land director Malcolm Wood promised the firm would work with residents and businesses on developing its final plans. Indeed St George have made great efforts to reach out to and engage the public throughout the later part of 2014 and into 2015, mailing hundreds of local residents and holding consultations in the Old Post Office. But we can not say that the consultation has been entirely unbiased. And despite all of this effort, the actual design submitted in the planning application was a big surprise - and not in a good way.
Were we hoodwinked?
St George's land director Malcolm Wood promised the firm would work with residents and businesses on developing its final plans. Indeed St George have made great efforts to reach out to and engage the public throughout the later part of 2014 and into 2015, mailing hundreds of local residents and holding consultations in the Old Post Office. But we can not say that the consultation has been entirely unbiased. And despite all of this effort, the actual design submitted in the planning application was a big surprise - and not in a good way.
Were we hoodwinked?
“In one sense they have worked really hard – they consulted and listened to the feedback that came from that. They are keeping the post office – restoring it, completely preserving the telephone exchange...But it does go up quite high at one point. I think there is still a debate about how high we want to go in the town centre. This won’t keep everybody happy.”
- Kevin Davis the Council Leader and COO of Cratus is reported to have said
- Kevin Davis the Council Leader and COO of Cratus is reported to have said
Many local residents remain unaware of the impact the proposed 'over development' and 'tower' will have on central Kingston and its skyline. Even now, 3 months later, we talk to many who are still *entirely unaware* of what's going on and who, on seeing the proposal, react in horror. We don't know what percent of residents this amounts to overall but can't help feeling it's a significant majority.
Our Concerns
Our ongoing concerns are kept up-to-date here. Concerns specific to this submission include:
Our ongoing concerns are kept up-to-date here. Concerns specific to this submission include:
- Visual impact and conservation areas - the detrimental effect of the 21 storey tower on protected views
- Affordable housing - provision of 56 or 54 represents just under 15% for proposals A or B. This fails to comply with the 50% Kingston Council Affordable Housing document guideline.
- Height & scale - The 21 storey tower was omitted in consultations - this fails to properly comply with requirement to consult; 21 storeys is too high and overbearing and out of scale & proportion to the two listed buildings on site.
- Aesthetics, Architecture, & Heritage - appropriate materials is questionable, lack of innovation and too similar to other unattractive buildings. Detailing not sympathetic enough to the listed buildings on site.
- Density - tall buildings dont solve density issues; the impact on schools and hospitals for existing residents; overshadows Victorian properties immediately to the south, inappropriate frontage to Wheatfield Way.
- Sustainability - falls short of the councils commitment on sustainability, and in the broader sense: .