Wandsworth Planning Committee rejected a mixed-use development proposal on Upper Tooting Road by a vote of seven, with three abstentions.
The proposal involved demolishing existing buildings to construct a part-four, part-five-storey building with a basement, comprising 23 residential units and commercial space.
The committee expressed frustration with the proposal’s failure to meet the borough’s housing needs, where housing is scarce. The refusal was based on several key issues.
Firstly, the development was deemed overdevelopment of the site, with poor design resulting in an intrusive presence along Upper Tooting Road. The bulk and mass of the building’s rear half were considered dominant and overbearing, negatively impacting neighbouring properties, particularly at 100 Upper Tooting Road. Additionally, the rear building was criticised for providing substandard accommodation with limited outlook and privacy, in violation of policies TBE1, TBE5, H10, and H11 of the Unitary Development Plan.
Secondly, the development was found to create substandard residential accommodation, offering poor outlook, privacy, and insufficient amenity space, with no landscaping opportunities. The proposal also failed to demonstrate adequate waste and recycling services, in conflict with policies DMS1c, DMH4, and DMH7 of the Development Management Policies Document (2016) and the Refuse and Recyclables in Developments SPD (2014).
The application documentation mentioned public realm improvements to Price Close, but the plans showed only a partial upgrade, differing from a 2019 scheme that included extensive streetscape improvements. The proposed building line adjustment on Upper Tooting Road was noted to slightly increase the footpath width.
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