The Council website states:
"The current closing date for comments on this application is 13th May 2015.
Please note this date can change over the lifetime of the application."
The following timetable applies, but is subject to change:
- The 21 day re-consultation period will commence with letters sent out from RBK Planning, starting earliest 22nd April ( we received some on 28th April ).
- The re-consultation period will end earliest 13th May
- 14th May: Kingston Town Planning Sub-Committee - considers
- 2nd June: Development Control Committee - considers
- 23rd June: Development Control Committee - decides
- Tower is narrower and lower at 19 storeys instead of 21
- Glass to upper floors
- 20 fewer homes
Again, the overwhelming quantity of documents for this revised submission can be viewed at Kingston Library and Guildhall 2, and on the council website here
The Planning Statement Addendum sets out the developers argument on how the revised proposals meet or don't meet the planning law requirements, including the recently adopted Eden Quarter Development Brief SPD and Further Alterations to the London Plan.
Our concerns
Our ongoing concerns are kept up-to-date here. Concerns specific to this revised submission include:
- Landmark tower is too high. At 61.6m high (19 storeys) the landmark tower breaches current tall building heights in the vicinity. Unilever House & Kingston College stand at 35m & 51m.
- Ashdown Road building is too high. At 13 storeys it exceeds the guidance of 6 - 8 storeys given in the Eden Quarter Development brief SPD for non-landmark tower buildings.
- Development is too dense - the number of habitable rooms per hectare exceeds the range given by the London Plan ( so "should be resisted") and some habitable rooms are too small as defined by the London Plan.
- Poor aesthetic design in our opinion. The Design Panel Review is largely in agreement.
- Amount of affordable housing remains low.
- The impact on parking, transport, infrastructure and services is not sufficiently considered. In particular additional school places, GP surgery places, policing, on-street parking, additional peak hour traffic congestion in an already congested area.
Click here to see the Design Panel Review report