Approval for 453 homes on Homebase site 'suspended' - what happens next?

By The Editor

2nd Dec 2020 | Local News

Planning approval granted last month to build hundreds of homes in Richmond has been "suspended".

In one of the borough's biggest new housing developments, Avanton Richmond Developments Ltd won permission from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to deliver 453 new homes off Manor Road.

The site is the current location of businesses including Homebase, Pets At Home and We Buy Any Car.

Existing buildings will be demolished and replaced with blocks between four and 11 storeys tall. Of the 453 new homes, 173 will be affordable.

Of these:

84 will be at London Affordable Rent
55 at London Living Rent
34 will be Shared Ownership Units

The original proposal for 385 homes in buildings up to nine floors high was rejected last year by Richmond Council's planning committee, who raised concerns about the "intrusive" design and scale of the development.

Read more: Homebase on plans to leave Richmond and make way for 453 new homes

It was then called in by Mr Khan in a bid for more affordable housing, and residents were consulted between August and September this year.

The mayor's office received 1,104 objections, and just one letter of support. Residents raised concerns about loss of light, the lack of affordable family homes and fears public transport and infrastructure in the area will not be able to cope with nearly 1,000 new residents.

Objectors included three Richmond councillors, the Kew Society, the Richmond Society and MP Sarah Olney, who wrote to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick asking him to call in the Homebase application if it was approved by the Mayor.

Officials from Mr Jenrick's department – the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – granted this wish by issuing a 'holding direction' on the application.

This has effectively suspended planning permission for the scheme until a decision on whether to call-in the application is made.

A spokesperson for the housing ministry told Richmond Nub News: "This is currently under consideration and a decision will be issued in due course."

Mayor's approval

Speaking at an online hearing on October 1, Mr Khan said the council has "a long way to go to deliver on the affordable housing targets as set out in the London plan."

He said Richmond has not built enough affordable housing recently, adding: "Unless you start having high-density mixed-use developments next to a station, I don't know where your borough is going to find them." More than 4,000 people are currently on Richmond's Council housing waiting list.

Nick Alston of Avanton's planning consulants Avison Young said the project would "have a transformative effect on access to affordable housing in the borough, it's the same as the total number of new affordable homes that have been delivered in the entire borough over the past three years".

Mr Khan overturned the decision to reject the plan and granted Avanton approval – and their permission now lies in limbo awaiting the housing ministry's decision.

Petition

Cllrs Nancy Baldwin, Richard Payne and Richard Warren (Lib Dems) represent North Richmond ward.

They have started a petition against the proposal: "If the developer is allowed to go ahead with their plans to build 453 flats, there will be tower blocks up to 11 storeys high towering over smaller, neighbouring homes, blocking out light and views and invading privacy," it reads.

"We believe the proposed social housing allocation is insufficient and that the design of the tower blocks is dull, making them even more oppressive.

"We consider TfL's decision to cut three bus services from Manor Circus undermines the developer's claim that this can be car-free development. We fear its new residents will simply seek to park vehicles on surrounding roads.

"We believe the developer is not offering enough money to invest in an upgrade of North Sheen Station to cope with increased demand."

The petition has more than 1,500 signatures.