Planning Permission Now Being Granted Via Virtual Council Meetings
Wandsworth pioneers fully live-streamed decision making
CGI of the planned Swandon Way Development
During one of the first virtually held full planning committee meetings in London, Wandsworth councillors recently greenlighted more than 220 new homes including around 75 new affordable homes for people on lower incomes.
Also approved in the meeting, which was permitted under the 2020 Coronavirus Act, were a new hotel in Chatfield Road and five new homes in Southfields.
During the three and a half hour long meeting, councillors agreed that Legal & General’s build-to-rent scheme on the old B&Q site on Swandon Way is to get an increase in the number of affordable homes, a new outdoor swimming pool and a reduction of 60 car parking spaces.
The financial services company, along with Dutch pension fund manager PGGM, is developing both the B&Q and the Homebase sites on either side of Swandon Way. Homebase is due to close this summer to make way for a new residential and commercial development.
Locally the old B&Q site development has resulted in some controversy, peaking with last winter’s felling of most of the trees along the perimeter wall. Built environment champions, The Wandsworth Society, lamented: “The diggers have moved on to the site in force. They ripped up all the car park trees last week and this week it is the turn of all the trees around the periphery of the site.”
Also discussed in the meeting was a new housing/hotel development just off York Road. Co-living pioneers, The Collective, are to create accommodation units with shared living space and amenities, including 64 affordable spaces for younger single people on lower incomes, plus an 81-room hotel on two adjoining sites in Chatfield Road. The new site (see artist’s impression above) will include 182 shared living rooms for single occupancy with minimum contracts of sixth months. The hotel will offer short stays of up to three months.
The planning committee also approved five new homes in Replingham Road, as well as a new restaurant space on Wandsworth High Street.
You can watch the full version of the virtual planning meeting here.
May 11, 2020