The Royal Borough of Kingston’s (RBK) Planning Committee unanimously approved, with two amended conditions, a mixed-use development overlooking the River Thames in the centre of Kingston.
The site formerly had four vacant offices on South Lane and the High Street Kingston.
The amended conditions included preventing gas from being supplied to the building and tightening up the marketing about no provision for car parking.
This proposal, a resubmission of a previously withdrawn application, has undergone significant changes in response to numerous pre-application discussions. The proposed scheme now includes amendments addressing previous concerns, such as flooding and impacts on heritage assets.
The proposal is to demolish existing buildings and erect a three–, four–, or five-story building with a lower ground level to provide 758 sqm of commercial floor space, 34 residential units, and associated communal and open space, along with associated highway works and landscaping.
A total of two on-site affordable housing units will be provided, which is below the policy level of fifty per cent. However, an independent review of the applicant’s Viability Review has found that the proposal cannot viably provide additional affordable housing.
The proposal, while resulting in a loss of employment floorspace on site of approximately 1,721 sqm, has been carefully considered. The loss of office space on site is contrary to the policies, but a balanced approach has been undertaken. This approach takes into account the marketing evidence provided, which demonstrates limited demand for the current commercial premises, and the benefits of providing 758 sqm of high-quality ground floor commercial space.
The developer is GM London and the architects are the Architecture Initiative.
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