UPDATE June 4th 2025 - New Planning Application Submitted
Thank you again for your ongoing support of this long-running saga, it is almost two years since our last success. It has been lovely to meet many of you in person over the last couple of years and put faces to names. Having seen off the previous developers there are some new ones and they have unfortunately begun the whole process again
There is now a
New Planning Application (PA25/1450) that has been submitted for two four bedroom houses. We likely have until the end of June to make our feelings known otherwise we will lose some of our wonderful trees and a good section of our pavement that has been in continuous use for over 40 years.
The application is very lengthy, the broad strokes are that they are now proposing to build two houses that will open directly onto the end of Winchester Road (just beyond the cherry tree in the round flower-bed). In order for them to be able to do this they are planning to remove the three trees facing Winchester Road (again) and also to enclose the cherry tree into the development (again) which reduces the pavement size considerably and also removes a right of way that has been there for over 40 years!
The developers have obviously worked hard to justify the removal of the three mature trees facing Winchester Road and it would appear that this will still be our best avenue of objection this time around.
Last time we had well over 100 letters of support against the proposal and it would be great to get that number in again or more!
OBJECTIONS can be made online at this link:
A reminder that the trees and planting around the car-park were put in place to improve the appearance of the locality as a
condition placed upon the business park when it was developed in the 80's and the Secretary of State
APPEAL DISMISSAL says
' I find that the collective value of the trees as a group is substantial and that they comprise an attractive cluster of trees, making a positive contribution to the appearance of the street. The loss of the trees, notwithstanding the proposals for replacement planting elsewhere, would substantially degrade the quality of the streetscene at this location. The inclusion of some replacement trees within the proposed scheme would do little to ameliorate this impact, given that the size and number would not be comparable to the existing specimens.
Consequently, for the reasons given above, I find that the proposal would be harmful to the character and appearance of the area, including the loss of protected trees, contrary to Policies LP1, LP15 and LP16 of the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan (the Local Plan). Together, and amongst other things, these policies seek to ensure that development contributes to the local environment and character, as well as protecting existing trees that are of amenity value.'
Many thanks for your support.
UPDATE July 2023 - Application REFUSED - Residents SAVED the trees (again)!
DETAILED REASONS FOR REFUSAL
Affordable Housing In the absence of a binding obligation securing an appropriate financial contribution towards the provision of affordable housing within the borough, the proposal would be prejudicial to meeting the Council's affordable housing objectives contrary to London Plan (2021) H4, adopted LBRUT Local Plan (2018) Policies LP30 and LP36 and the Supplementary Planning Document: Affordable Housing.
Massing and Design The proposal by reason of its siting, massing, scale and design in close proximity to site boundaries, would give rise to a cramped and congested site appearance unsympathetic and detrimental to surrounding street scenes, including elevated views from the nearby footbridge, as well as causing the loss of protected site trees and in the future, placing undue pressure to fell trees both existing and proposed. The proposal would also detract from the residential and visual amenities of occupants of the neighbouring residential properties in Godstone Road through perceived overlooking and overbearing impacts. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies LP1, LP8, LP16 and LP39 of the adopted Local Plan 2018 and Supplementary Planning Documents: "Design Quality" and "Small and Medium Housing Sites"
Parking Permits In the absence of a binding obligation securing the non-eligibility for parking permits within the borough, the proposal would be prejudicial to local on-street parking conditions contrary to the adopted LBRUT Local Plan (2018) Policies LP45 and the Supplementary Planning Document: Transport.
UPDATE June 14th 2023 - Planning Committee Finally Meet
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who sent in their objection letters last year (in total there are 110!), since then nothing has happened until now and suddenly there is going to be a Planning Committee Meeting on Wednesday 14th June at 7pm, it would be great to see some of you there at the meeting and if you feel moved to send in further objections then please do so.
We are planning to speak at the meeting (only two people are allowed) and attend in person but it is also possible to attend virtually via teams.
Many thanks for all your messages of support. They do make a big difference.
UPDATE May 2022 - New Planning Application SUBMITTED
There is now a New Planning Application (22/1225/FUL) that has been submitted and we only have a few weeks to make our feelings known otherwise we will lose some of our wonderful trees.
The application is very lengthy. It proposes to build three houses that will open directly onto the end of Winchester Road. In order to do this they plan to remove three trees facing Winchester Road and enclose the cherry tree into the development. This reduces the pavement size and removes a right of way that has been there for over 40 years!
Last time we had 109 letters of support against the proposal and it would be great to get that number in again or more!
All objections should be made online (https://www2.richmond.gov.uk/lbrplanning/Planning_CaseNo.aspx?strCASENO=22/1225/FUL) using the "Make a Comment" button before May 31st. A list of the valid reasons for objection can be seen on the LBRUT Planning Portal HERE
April 2021 - Appeal DISMISSED by Secretary of State - Residents SAVED the trees!!
Having finally heard just before Christmas 2020 that permission to build the 4 houses had been refused the fight continued and we finally heard in early April 2021 that an Appeal regarding the car-park site has been submitted to the Secretary of State.
Submissions were made by all parties and we have now heard that THE APPEAL HAS BEEN DISMISSED and THE TREES HAVE BEEN SAVED!
All documents (including the appeal dismissal) are shown on the LBRUT Planning Website HERE
This is obviously great news and a powerful testament to the power of all the local residents who have supported this campaign from the outset - many thanks to those who have written letters and e-mails of objection regarding this proposed development.
It remains now to be seen what the next move might be, whilst the appeal letter of dismissal makes it very clear that the trees must stay and that the proposed development
'would fail to integrate appropriately with the surrounding development' and that the 'proposed building would be viewed as an overly bulky feature within the context of the surrounding townscape, and this would be appreciable from the adjacent road and would be a particularly unsympathetic feature when viewed from the elevated railway bridge. Thus, the appeal scheme would fail to integrate acceptably with the development with which it would share a close visual affinity.'
It does also remove many of the other objections the council (and residents) had made which raises a question mark over the future of the site from this point forward.
We have reached out to CBRE Global Investors who are acting on behalf of the actual business site owners - The Pension Protection Fund - and are hoping to open a discussion about acquiring the site in order for it to become a Green Hub with provision for charging electric cars whilst providing a suitable visual amenity and a space that everyone can enjoy (even the Business Park owners!)
Once again many, many thanks for all of the phenomenal support given over the last year and congratulations to those who have supported this campaign.
UPDATE May 2022 : New planning application submitted
The new application proposes to build three houses that will open directly onto the end of Winchester Road. In order to do this they plan to remove three trees facing Winchester Road and enclose the cherry tree into the development. This reduces the pavement size and removes a right of way that has been there for over 40 years!
All objections should be made online (https://www2.richmond.gov.uk/lbrplanning/Planning_CaseNo.aspx?strCASENO=22/1225/FUL)
UPDATE 24th December 2020 : Planning Application REFUSED!!
We found out today that Planning Application 20/2664/FUL has now been outright Refused by LBRUT Planning Department on Five grounds:
- Loss of ancillary industrial/employment space
- Character/design
- Parking
- Affordable housing
- Loss of biodiversity/trees
HUGE THANKS is due to everyone who has contributed in any way to make this happen!
Whether or not there will now be an appeal remains to be seen and we will now have to wait to see what is next from the owners/developers. Meantime we are exploring ways to turn the site into a Green Hub.
And... Some of you may also have seen some developer activity (they were attempting to erect 8 foot hoardings around the entire site) in the car-park recently which led to a stand-off between local residents and Sheen Lane Developments, we are pleased to report that the council have intervened and all the wood has now been removed from the site.
Grateful thanks is due to all the local residents who turned out to argue our case and make lots of phone calls to all the right people. Best wishes to everyone for a better 2021!
UPDATE October 1st 2020
The planning application (20/2664/FUL) has now been submitted for the development of the car-park at the junction of Winchester Road and Godstone Road and can be seen HERE
All objections should be made online using the "Make a Comment" button before October 22nd. and a list of the valid reasons for objection is shown on the LBRUT Planning Portal
HERE
The trees and planting around the car-park were put in place to improve the appearance of the locality as a
condition placed upon the business park when it was developed in the 80's.
There are (despite what the developer says in the application) confirmed Tree Preservation Orders (TPO's) on all the trees and the main fight will be to retain these trees on the grounds of visual-amenity together with the retention of the current boundary of the car-park (as formed by the pavement along Godstone Road and Winchester Road) on the grounds of highway safety for pedestrians. There is abundant wildlife (including bats) which make good use of the current site and objections can also be raised along the lines of nature conservation.
We have commissioned our own Tree Survey and the key findings are as follows;
1. "as a group (the trees) are of landscape value and contribute to the character and appearance of the local landscape. The value of the trees is sufficient to justify their continued protection under the new TPO and the canopy values calculated are significant, implying significant loss to biodiversity, townscape, green infrastructure and likely to yield significant CAVAT values. In light of this and following analysis of the local and regional planning policy we think there is scope to put forward a strong case in opposition of development proposals requiring the loss of all or the majority of these trees."
2. “In support of an objection the canopy volume for all of the onsite trees which may be removed has been calculated as this demonstrates the potential loss of the urban forest. The total canopy volume which could be lost equates to 2,940.4m3…
3. “It is clear that the loss of canopy volume would be significant if these trees were removed and arguably, contrary to local and regional (London) policy."
